By Bimbola Oyesola
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) will today (Thursday) picket telecommunication giant MTN, CHI Nigeria Limited, Orange drugs and host of others companies, over alleged anti labour practices.
Other notable companies on the picketing list holding simultaneously across the 36 states of the country to kick off the labour battle against the casualisation of workers in the country include Namoh Nigeria Limited and Abuja Environmental Protection Board among other companies
The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, at a world press conference to commence activities of the 2017 edition of World Decent Work celebration in Lagos yesterday, said despite repeated warnings and visitations to the companies by the labour leadership,they have refused to stop their anti-workers activities. He said the picketing of companies will be done in batches and will be a continuous exercise until employers stop violation of workers right and casualisation of the workers.
Wabba, represented by the chairman,Decent Work Day Committee, Solomon Adelegan, said only political will by the government can stop the abuse of workers in the country.
He said: “Political will by the government through laws made by the National Assembly and passed by the Presidency will put a stop to casualisation of Nigerian workers by the employers, as any of such laws can be enforced by the law enforcement agencies”.
Adelegan said this year’s October 7 marks the 10th anniversary of the World Day for Decent Work (WDDW), and being the second edition celebrated under the Ayuba Wabba led leadership, labour will make sure the evils of casualisation is tackled.
He said the picketing was inevitable as employers use casualisation as a form of work in several work places, contrary to national laws on employment, international labour and human rights conventions, and the basic principles of decent work signed by member nations of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and particularly UN Sustainable Development Goals on the right and welfare of workers .
He said their demands are for employers to stop casualisation of workers in work places, pay their workers living wages, and allow their workers to form and belong to trade unions of their choice in work places in compliance with the labour laws and ILO Convention 87.
Others demands include: “Integrate these workers and their unions in internal collective bargaining machinery in all work places in compliance with ILO convention 98 and respect of all national laws and international labour conventions on the rights of workers.”