Labour unions across the country have joined their counterparts globally to celebrate workers’ day and air their complaints about the poor working conditions, practices, insecurity and job losses.
They highlighted the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy, remuneration and job security.
Union leaders from Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) among others stated that Nigerian workers were facing threat to their lives, suffering and passing through hard times.
NUPENG in its Workers’ Day message said oil and gas workers were facing casualisation and poor commitment to workers’ welfare by employers.
The President and General Secretary of NUPENG, Prince Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, said “NUPENG is using this auspicious occasion to highlight the fact that Nigeria oil and gas Industrial Relations atmosphere has been grossly affected negatively with numerous challenges ranging from redundancy, casualisation, outsourcing, hostile employers, non-implementation of Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA) to non-recognition of unions in the workplace.
“Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic further plunged the workers into so many other harrowing challenges; even in the post covid-19 era some workers are yet to survive the negative effects which took serious toll on their socio-economic and psychological well-being.
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“Nevertheless, the oil and gas Workers will remain resolute and undaunted, and will never give up, as the Union will continue the struggles and resist every obnoxious and anti-labour practices with all the resources at our disposal.
“We are strongly committed in our mandate to defend, promote and protect the rights of our members and this we promise to do with all our strength and conviction.”
The NLC and TUC at the 2nd National Peace and Security Summit on Friday called on the government to reclaim Nigeria from the stronghold of Boko Haram insurgents, militias, bandits, armed herders, kidnappers and other criminal elements.
This according to them, is because Nigerian workers are the victims of the incessant killings and kidnappings.
The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, “Workers are the major targets. So many teachers, health workers, agricultural and food chain workers have been either kidnapped or killed. So many working families have had the lives of their breadwinners brutally cut short leaving behind open wounds that could be the sores for another cycle of counter-violence.
“Just as we did at the Peace and Security Summit, we ask the Nigerian security apparatus to do more. Yes, we recognize the sacrifice and commitment of our Armed forces in the multifaceted fight against insecurity in Nigeria but the job of our security operatives is not done until we reclaim a country where people can travel from Zamfara to Katsina without looking over their shoulders for fear of kidnappers, a country where Nigerians travel by train from Abuja to Kaduna as a matter of choice not as a consequence of the imposition of the will of kidnappers.
“We must reclaim a country where pastoralists and farmers live in peace with one another under the umbrella of justice. We must reclaim a Nigeria where militancy in Southern Nigeria becomes history as a result of the overflow of the tributaries of socio-economic justice.”
