NLC Raises Hope for Campaign Against Casualisation

........,Urges Youths to Lead The Struggle for Improved Workers Welbeing 

By Aviashima Toom, Abuja

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said it has stepped up its campaigns against casualization of labour particularly in the transportation, telecommunications, oil and gas and the hospitality sector.

Speaking on Tuesday, during the second national youths Delegates Conference of the NLC, in Abuja, President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba said workers live in an era where businesses put profit before people. 

Wabba charged the youths to lead the struggle for improved workers welfare.

The NLC President also said the advancement of technology especially the floodgates of the internet and social media applications occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic have ushered in its wake a huge traffic of dislocations, displacements and despair.

According to him, workers must be alive to these developments and engage businesses and government to ensure that deployment of these technologies does not erode industrial health and safety for workers.

 “Nigerian workers and trade unions face daunting challenges which have been increased by the rapidly evolving dynamism in the world of work especially with the emergence of platform businesses and the reality of their iron clench resistance against unionization of workers” he said 

According to Wabba, “While we seek answers to questions that the future of work brings, we should also deal with the concerns that exist in the contemporary world of work. Our workers still face the indignity of indecent work. Almost two years after the new national minimum wage was signed into law, some state governments have refused to pay despite the prevailing inflation.

“I call on our young comrades to see the fight against wage injustice and sub-standard living conditions as your own fight. You are the greatest beneficiaries of improved wages and conditions of living because you will enjoy these benefits longer than older workers. So, roll up your sleeves, dust up your jeans, strap up your sneakers and get ready to be in the front of the barricades.”

Wabba said data shows that in the next decade, one billion young people will enter the labour market, and large numbers of young people face a future of irregular and informal employment.

He said, “a recent report by the Trading Economics put the level of Nigeria’s youth unemployment at 36%. The resource access challenge faced by young people has been exacerbated by Covid-19 and worsening impact of climate change. There is certainly a huge fight ahead of you and all of us as we embrace what the future brings.”

The NLC president said in line with the dynamism that the future of work brings, we have provided training opportunities for our young people through exposure to the best training, mentoring and learning opportunities across the world. 

"Currently, some of our young comrades are attending internship programs both in Africa and in other parts of the world. Clearly, learners will eventually become leaders because the future belongs to those who prepare for it". He said.