Unions to strengthen WFTU in Nigeria, move against anti-labour practices

Organised labour movement has agreed to strengthen the presence of the World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU) in Nigeria to effectively tackle issues of poor wages, social security and capital flight.

The unions, who are affiliates of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), gave their support to the initiative at a parley with the visiting WFTU President, Mr Zwandile Makwayiba, a South African, to the country for the first time.

Convener and Presidential Council Member, WFTU, Leke Success, said the aim of the meeting was to enlighten the labour unions on the fact that the federation would help to handle issues concerning workers and retirees.

He said: “Foreign nationals who own companies in Nigeria maltreat workers, in terms of poor wages, lack of social security, capital flight, among others and enough is not being done to ameliorate their situation.

“That is what affiliate stakeholders have gathered to deliberate on and the Ministry of Labour and Productivity has given its support.”He added that the WFTU is in Nigeria to strengthen the job of the NLC and the TUC in achieving a decent work agenda, rights of workers and unionization.

He then said that the stakeholders are set to hold an African Regional Conference of the WFTU in July in Nigeria, which would address issues affecting workers on the African continent.

Makwayiba, who responded to questions, explained that some of the problems such as outsourcing of workers were also prevalent in South Africa.He said that the WFTU had managed to convince the South African government to establish laws that would compulsorily upgrade a worker as a permanent staff after three months, whether the employer wanted it or not.

The WFTU president said that the focus of the federation was to end oppression of men by men and that it could be achieved through the involvement of the society, not labour alone.