NLC laments harsh working environment

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), has expressed dismay over a situation where workers are exposed to worsening health and safety situations with increased cases of deaths and injuries at work.
The President of the Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, stated this during 2019 Decent Work Day held in Kaduna on Monday.
The NLC President who was represented by Kaduna State Chairman, Comrade Ayuba Suleiman, said NLC rejects a world of work of increased demand for overtime work without commensurate reward, adding that a world of work where jobs are not secured and hugely precarious.
“We reject the ascendancy of a work order denoted by casual, contract, or outsourced work. We will continue to frown at child labour. We reject forced labour.
“ These industrial infractions violate Section 7 of Nigeria’s Labour Act.
“We say no to a world of work where workers are dumped in the column of “expendables” to be torn apart, trampled upon and tossed aside.”
Speaking on the theme: “Invest in the Care Economy”, Ayuba said, “We re-echo our position that decent work must be at the centre of government actions to bring back economic growth and build a new global economy that puts people first.
“ Putting people first means reversal of the ugly trend of wage poverty and extreme inequality.
“We therefore join the rest of the global trade union movement to call on government to increase investment in care to generate economic growth, tackle growing demographic challenges and help overcome gender discrimination by mainstreaming women in the economy.
“Investment in care economy means prioritizing investment in extended social protection to women, extended leave for care of children, secured parental leave for both gender and change in work arrangement to allow workers to achieve the critical balance between work and family.” The statement reads