By Eberechi Obinagwam
The Nigerian Labour Congress has urged governments and employers to extend decent work provisions and protection to migrant workers through social dialogue.
Agnes Funmi Sessi, Lagos State Labour union council chairman, made the appeal on their behalf at the 2019 World Day For Decent Work held on October 7, with the theme; Invest in the Care Economy said majority of migrants are in precarious jobs that are unstable and insecure which offers them limited or no rights, protections and benefits.
She stated that the challenges of indecent work for other categories of workers are no less daunting, that though we are in the era of neo-liberal globalisation, capitalism rules the world but it must rule responsibly and must show care.
Expressing their worries, the union said: “We are tired of a world where workers are exposed to worsening health and safety situations with increased cases of deaths and injuries at work. We reject a world of increased demand for overtime work without commensurate reward.
“We reject a world of work where jobs are not secured and highly 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.”
The union also demanded that workers should be treated with dignity in factories, offices, schools, hospitals and other work spaces.
“Workers are not expendable commodities. We create wealth. We demand regularised appointments, decent work hours, paid leave, guaranteed remunerations at work and regular pension at retirement”
The union however stated that decent work must be at the center of government actions to bring back economic growth and build a new global economy that puts people first.
