ITUC tasks Nigeria labour movement on fair representation of workers

Organised Labour in Nigeria may need to do more in its organising task to give fair representation to workers across all the sectors in the country, says, the International Trade Confederation (ITUC).

This is even as the Somali Trade Federation has commended Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for its role at the formation and continuous existence of the labour centre in the war torn country.
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The ITUC, Africa Region during a visit to the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) in Abuja last week said Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has the capacity to double the number of the organised  workers  ‎in the country.

Joel Odigie, Coordinator, Human and Trade Union Rights, ITUC Africa Regional Organisation in a statement, charged MHWUN to support the Ayuba Wabba led NLC  executive at tripling the size of the organised workers in Nigeria.

He said, “Part of the assistance that should be given to Ayuba is for the union to be relentless in organising. Organising ‎at the NLC should be given more emphasis, now the number is 6 million, but I believe that we can have 18 million. This can be done within a year.”

He maintained that more workers are indeed out there waiting to be organised, advising the labour movement in Nigeria to move ‎beyond the union to other sectors like the private and the informal sectors.

Speaking on the support, Federation of Somali Trade Unions (FESTU) has gotten from Nigeria, the General  Secretary of the federation, Omar Faruk Osman said his visit to Nigeria was to express appreciation to the NLC and the union which produced the NLC president.

“Nigeria has been speaking for Somalia in the United Nation. Kenya was expected to give us support when the federation was formed, but we didn’t get it, but NLC came to our aid”, he said. ‎

The National President of the Medical and Health ‎Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN),  Biobelemoye Joy Josiah however assured ITUC that the workers and the union have always given the NLC President the necessary support to ensure that he succeeds in his mandate both at home and internationally.