The president of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba has tasked Federal Government to ensure that decent employment is included in the economy recovery plans from the covid-19 pandemic.
Comrade Wabba while speaking at the Roundtable on Decent Work Situation In Nigeria, also lamented that Nigeria have job deficits of about 575 million.
He frowned at a situation where workers are subjected to all kinds of inhuman treatment, adding govwrnment must consider withdrawal of licenses of employers who indulge of such practices.
The NLC president said the Roundtable would follow up with a rally organised by the congress to mark World Decent Work Day, marking every 7th of October.
“Government at all levels must include decent employment in their economy recovery plans, this is because today Nigeria have about 575 million job deficits meanwhile about 70 percent of Nigerians finds there livelihood in the informal sector even though there are no actual data about that.
“We need jobs that respect human rights as well as right of workers to belong to union of their choice. We need jobs that is just , we must create jobs that respect the findermental labour standard.
“We must create jobs for our youths , if that is not done they can be manipulated since they are not gainfully employed, so we need jobs that is also climate friendly”.
Also speaking, ILO Director for Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Liaison office for ECOWAS- CO Abuja, Vanessa Phala decent work must be at the centre of government action.
She said this year marks the 14th World Day for Decent Work on 7th October where millions of people have taken part in the World Day for Decent Work Day (WDDW) events since 2008.
“This year again it is a day when all trade unions in the world stand up for decent work. Decent work must be at the centre of government actions to bring back economic growth and building of a new global economy that puts people first.
“The importance of decent work in building back better particularly during the context of the COVID-19 pandemic has also been captured as a central topic and theme for your 2021 WDDW event”.
