From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja

As part of activities to mark the 2022 world day for decent work, the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) on Friday, picketted some companies in Abuja for anti-labour practices and violation of Nigerian Labour laws.

President Ayuba Wabba, who spearheaded the picketing together with other labour leaders, argued that some of the firms, who continue to blame covid-19 for their acts, are actually engaging in modern day slavery.

Every year on October 7, the World Day for Decent Work is observed to raise awareness of the importance of allowing for unionization, ending casualization, and paying workers a fair wage.

Among the companies visited by the Labour Congress was a furniture firm, Alibert for alleged victimisation, intimidation, unfair labour practices and the sack of over 200 workers.

The NLC accused the company of converting the over 200 workers to contract staff.

Arriving the premises of the firm in the Idu area of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, the labour leader accused the company of not providing social security cover and pension for workers.

He said: “They do not have social security cover, no pension, they hire and fire every day, the same workers that have had a relationship and a contract of employment, and this is shameful.

“Our law does not allow for that. Our law allows only for decent work. This is why we are here because of the fact that these workers are not slaves.

“Modern day slavery had been abolished by the International Labour Organisation and by Nigeria laws.

“The issue of hiring and firing every day without a contract of employment has been abolished.

“That is why we are here to send a very strong message that this must be corrected. else, we will then take a full swing of the trade union action, and also deliver a message.

“Once a worker entre, he cannot get out, you must work under a condition that is similar to slavery.

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“If you remember comrades, that is how workers died in a fire incident in Ikorodu in Lagos and until now, those workers have not been paid compensation, we don’t want that to happen here.

“We want workers in Nigeria to work under a condition of dignity, as workers here are not different from workers around the world.”

He called on employers of labour to ensure to read the Nigerian law that states that workers have the right.

“Employment is a contract between an employer and employees, so they are not slaves,” he said.

General – Secretary of the NLC, Emmanuel Ugboaja, while presenting a letter of warning to the Human Resources Manager of Alibert, Adisa Shuiabu gave the company two weeks to address the anti – labour issues raised by NLC.

He said: “We write to draw your attention to heavy casualisation of your workforce, refusing your workers their inalienable rights to unionise, hiring and firing workers at will.

“Others are invitations of the Police and Traditional Rulers to intimidate and harass workers in your establishment.
“These violations are fundamentally in breach of International Labour Organisation(ILO) Conventions 87 on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise.

“Also, Convention 98 on the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining and also Convention 190 on Workplace Violence and Harassment which Nigeria just ratified a few days ago.”

Speaking on the 2022 World Decent Work, Ugboaja urged the organisation to convene a meeting to address the dispute.

He said the meeting should be held with the representatives of workers’ organisations in the workplace of the National Union of Construction Engineering Civil Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW) to address the concerns.

“We also urge you to put in place measures to ensure that there is effective collective bargaining mechanism and industrial dispute processes in your organization.

“We are here because force labour and modern day slavery is being practiced here,” he said.

Receiving the letter on behalf of the compa, the Human Resources Manager of Alibert, Shuiabu promised the management would do the needful.