Upsurge in slave-labour factories worries unions

By Victor Ahiuma-Young

The 33rd Annual Industrial Relations Seminar of the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees, NUCFRLANMPE, with the theme “Building Human Capacity for Enhancing Productivity and Personnel Welfare in the Midst of Economic Hardship”, provided unions the opportunity to raise alarm over the upsurge in precarious jobs replacing decent employment, where workers are allegedly treated like prisoners in factories.

Read Also: Insecurity: I have to create state police — Tinubu

At the event, held in Ilorin, Kwara State, leaders of NUCFRLANMPE, the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, and the Nigeria Civil Service Union, NCSU, among others, lamented that casualisation and outsourcing are now the new face of exploitation in Nigerian workplaces.

Welcoming guests and members, President of NUCFRLANMPE,  Bolarinwa Sunday, expressed concern that employment relations are taking a new form in response to Nigeria’s struggling economy, with employers adopting strategies that violate standard labour practices.

He listed casualisation, outsourcing, and contract staffing among the “obnoxious measures” being taken by employers to replace regular employment.

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

Decent work

He urged stakeholders to promote decent work by creating more employment opportunities through value-adding strategies, stressing that labour must form a united front to strengthen organising and hold politicians and policymakers accountable.

“The high cost of governance must be addressed so that public resources do not end up in private pockets again. There is an urgent need to strengthen collective advocacy for reviewing obsolete and anti-labour laws such as the voluntarism clause and the operations of labour contractors, in order to allow workers enjoy their fundamental human rights and curb precarious work. Social dialogue must also be sustained to address issues of common interest such as Just Energy Transition and Health and Safety at the workplace,” he said.

Sunday expressed alarm over the discovery that most companies along the Lagos–Sagamu–Ibadan axis operate what it described as “slave camps” under the guise of providing accommodation for workers. 

“Most of these companies are owned and operated by Chinese nationals, but our politicians are fronting for them, 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 man the gates and mete out inhuman punishment to dissenting workers. We have made frantic efforts to reach these workers but they are inaccessible. “However, it is not over until it is over. We are not resting on our oars but are strategising through the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and the Ministry of Labour and Employment . The NLC President has made a categorical statement on these anti-labour practices. Soon, Organised Labour will take on them and they shall be called to order”, he declared.  

United front  

Also speaking, the President of NUTGTWN, Peters Godonu, said the seminar’s theme was timely, given the hardships confronting Nigerian workers and their families.

He said “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. But productivity must go hand in hand with improved welfare and the dignity of labour.

“As trade unions, our mission is to ensure that while industries strive for competitiveness, the rights, welfare, and aspirations of workers are not sacrificed. At a time when workers face challenges ranging from precarious work, casualisation, outsourcing, to resistance against unionisation, the need for stronger bonds between our unions cannot be overemphasized.”

Similarly, the General Secretary of NCSU, Olowoyo Gbenga, cautioned that both employers and employees are groaning under the current economic crisis.

“We must not pretend. Investors are groaning while workers are crying loudly. The federal government must listen carefully in this regard. The government should come to the aid of both critical stakeholders in the industrial sector so that the Nigerian economy does not collapse totally.

“Government should also provide friendly regulations, reconsider high tax rates on imported raw materials, and create policy incentives for private companies to sustain production and keep their workers productively engaged with decent salary packages,” he said.

Also speaking, the Executive Secretary of Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Employers Federation, CANMPEF, Femi Oke, underscored the need for unions to strengthen human capacity, skills, attitudes, and resilience to enhance productivity while safeguarding workers’ welfare amid the prevailing economic downturn.

Government assurance

In his goodwill message, Minister of Labour and Productivity, Mohammed Dingyadi, commended the union’s leadership for consistently organising the annual education seminar despite the harsh economic environment.

“Your commitment to developing human capacity for enhanced productivity and personnel welfare is highly commendable, especially in the face of economic hardship,” he said.

Represented by Mr. Orodiran, Controller at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the minister emphasized the importance of capacity building.

“By empowering your members with relevant skills and knowledge, you are enabling them to navigate today’s challenges and improve performance, which will in turn strengthen the economy. The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment fully supports your initiatives in promoting capacity building and workers’ welfare,” he assured.

In another goodwill message, the Director-General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, MINILS, Ilorin,   Issa Aremu, urged the union to push for subsidies on workers’ education, stressing that investment in human capacity is nation-building.

“There should be a special fund through the NLC to support workers’ education. By building workers, we are building the nation,” he said.

Aremu, who praised the union for sustaining the seminar for 33 consecutive editions, called for stronger partnership with MINILS in subsequent editions.

The post Upsurge in slave-labour factories worries unions appeared first on Vanguard News.