Ajaero led ULC seeks elimination of poverty, demands passage of PIB
Nigerian workers across the country on Monday, joined their counterparts around the world to mark May Day urging improved welfare for workers.
Members of the United Labour Congress (ULC), urged the federal government to invest in workers to ensure economic development of the country.
Joe Ajaero, President of ULC spoke in Lagos at the celebration tagged “Trade Union in a Recessionary Economy,’’ held at the National Stadium in Surulere area of the state.
He said that without workers, pursuit of economic progress would become a mirage, as work based on equality and justice would eliminate poverty, hunger and diseases.
According to him, efforts to overcome recession would be impressive if the prices of goods and services are reduced and companies that have gone comatose are resuscitated.
He urged government at all levels not to relent in their efforts to address issues of unemployment, precarious work, privatisation and casualisation.
“We call on the government to revive the steel industry as one of the basic infrastructure for catalysing manufacturing and industrialisation in any society.
“Discourage all companies destroying collective bargaining platforms in order to encourage decent work places and enhance terms and conditions of service for Nigerian workers,’’ he said.
Igwe Achese, President, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), in his message said workers have lost their jobs because of the oil glut.
He said that the drop in oil price made the multinationals and contractors to embark on endless redundancies and that the union would continue to resist casualisation and outsourced.
“The challenges facing us are many. NUPENG is disappointed that till now the Petroleum Industry Bill still has not being passed in spite of passing third reading in the National Assembly,’’ he said.
The NUPENG President urged stakeholders to call on the National Assembly to pass the PIB into law as well as ensure that epileptic operations in the nation’s four refineries are resolved to stop importation of petroleum products.
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