Labour leaders decry rising job losses, demand urgent economic diversification

By Demola Akinyemi

Ilorin—Labour leaders yesterday in Ilorin, Kwara State, called on the government to urgently diversify the economy and implement people-oriented reforms to tackle rising job losses and declining workers’ welfare in Nigeria.

They spoke at the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees, NUCFRLANMPE 33rd Annual Industrial Relations Seminar, themed “Building Human Capacity for Enhancing Productivity and Personnel Welfare in the Midst of Economic Hardship,”

Speaking at the event, President of NUCFRLANMPE, Bolarinwa Sunday, warned that improving productivity in the current economic climate was a herculean task that required deliberate policy interventions.

He stressed that sustainable growth and improved welfare could only be achieved through diversification of the economy, investments in social infrastructure—especially power and roads—FOREX stabilization, labour-inclusive recovery frameworks, and policies that support local production of finished goods.

“Loss of employment as a result of redundancy exercise is on a daily basis, while precarious work is replacing decent work,” Sunday said. “We therefore need to understand the state of Nigeria’s economy and strike the balance between productivity and workers’ welfare; hence the essence of this seminar.”

The union president decried the rising wave of casualisation, outsourcing, and contract staffing, describing them as “obnoxious measures” being adopted by employers to replace regular employment. He urged stakeholders to promote decent work by creating more opportunities through value-adding strategies.

“Labour organizations must form a cohesive band to strengthen organising and to make our politicians and policymakers accountable. High cost of governance must be addressed so that public resources do not end up in private pockets again,” he stressed.

Sunday further revealed disturbing findings that many companies along the Lagos–Sagamu–Ibadan axis operated “slave camps” under the guise of providing accommodation for workers.

“Majority of these companies are owned by Chinese nationals, but our politicians are fronting for them, thereby making it easy to practice all forms of anti-labour practices. For instance, workers live under the strict control of Nigerian soldiers and police who are manning the gates and apportioning inhuman punishment to dissenting workers. We have made frantic efforts to reach out to these workers but they are not accessible. However, it’s not over until it is over; we are still strategizing through the NLC and the Ministry of Labour.

The NLC President has made a categorical statement on the anti-labour practices of these Chinese and with time, they shall be called to order,” he declared.

Also speaking, the President of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, Peter Godonu, lamented that “At a time when workers and their families are confronted with severe economic hardship—rising cost of living, job insecurity, and eroding purchasing power—it is critical to invest in human capacity development. A well-trained, empowered, and motivated workforce is the surest guarantee for enhanced productivity and sustainable enterprise growth. Productivity must go hand in hand with improved welfare and dignity of labour.

. “We must resist every attempt by some recalcitrant employers to divide our ranks. By sharing experiences, strategies, and lessons, we are building a collective capacity to respond to new realities in the world of work.”

In his goodwill message, Minister of Labour and Productivity, Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi, represented by Mr. Orodiran of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, commended the union for sustaining its annual education seminar.

“I recognize the importance of investing in our workforce. By empowering your members with relevant skills and knowledge, I believe this will enable them to navigate favourably through present-day challenges and thrive to improve their performance and by extension, our economy,” he said.

Similarly, the Director General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, MINILS, Issa Aremu, urged the union to demand subsidies for workers’ education.

“There should be a special fund through the NLC to support workers’ education. By doing this, they are not only building themselves but also building the nation,” Aremu said.

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