18 October, 2013In Nigeria, affiliated unions and civil society allies, took to the streets of Lagos to protest increasing casualisation of workers, outsourcing, contract staffing and anti-union behaviour by employers.
On 7 October, IndustriALL Global Union marked the World Day for Decent Work. For IndustriALL Global Union, the day of Action provided a critical platform to further strengthen the Stop Precarious Work Campaign and remind employers and Governments to act responsibly on workplace issues for workers and also mobilize and call workers to action against all forms of violations of the rights of workers.
The National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Chemical and Non-Metallic Products Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, CANMPSSAN, and National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non Metallic Products Employees, NUCFRLANMPE. Civil society allies under the Joint Action Forum, JAF, Democratic Socialist Movement, DSM, and Campaign for Workers Democratic Rights, CWDR were all part of the protest.
The protesters were led by IndustriALL Global Union, African Region Chairman and General Secretary of NUTGTWN, Comrade Issa Aremu alongside civil society allies in a road show, calling for a stop to all forms of precarious employment in Nigeria.
The protesters marched from Acme Road through Aromire Avenue, Oba Akran, Niwil Close to Allen Avenue in Ikeja. They carried various placards with inscriptions such as "Stop casual and contract work"; "respect workers rights"; "Equal pay for equal work", "Just and humane conditions of work", "Improved health and safety conditions. 'There should be respect for freedom of association", "Respect for collective bargaining", among others.
Addressing the gathering at the Textile Labour House on ACME Road, Ogba Lagos, before the mass rally, Comrade Aremu, reminded the gathering that the struggle for decent work was historical.
He recalled that workers in colonial employment in the mines, railway and colonial public service were not only poorly paid, they were discriminated against and denied the right to unionize. He stressed the sacrifices of the heroes of the trade union movement like Pa Michael Imoudu, H.P Adebola, S.U. Bassey, Wahab Goodluck and others, in negotiating freedom, improved pay and the right to form unions during brutal colonial record.