….vows to resist move by National Assembly to strip workers of their power
AKOR SYLVESTER, Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has accused the Nigerian government of making a move to policy towards diverting the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and Employees’ Compensation Act (ECA) funds for political gains or ends.
It also vowed to resist any attempt by the National Assembly to strip Nigerian workers of their power and patrimony and make them toothless bull dogs.
The President of NLC, Joe Ajaero who spoke at the Labour Correspondents Association of Nigeria (LACAN) Annual Labour Conference in Abuja Thursday, said Nigerians are simultaneously facing a legislative and political onslaught that threatens to undo the very foundations of workers.
He said: “Today, the rights of Nigerian workers are under a reckless and undemocratic siege from the hallowed chambers of the National Assembly.
We are witnessing a two-pronged attack designed to strip workers of their power and their patrimony.
“First, there is the sinister attempt in the Senate to amend the NSITF and ECA Acts. This is nothing but a brazen attempt to capture the Fund and divert it from its sacred purpose of protecting injured workers and their families, to using it for political ends.
“This Fund is the lifeblood of worker solidarity, contributed for workers.
It is not a slush fund for politicians, and we will resist this criminal appropriation with every fibre of our being.
“Second, we are seeing an unholy move by the National Assembly to pass special laws that would grant a few powerful companies the licence to operate as islands of impunity, outside the known Labour standards that govern our nation.
These so-called “Special Economic Zone” laws are a direct and violent breach of ILO Conventions 87 and 98 on the right to organise and collective bargaining, to which Nigeria is a signatory.
“It is the same corrosive logic that fuelled the recent de-unionization violence at the Dangote Refinery, now seeking the cloak of legality.
They want to create a country within a country where workers have no voice and no rights.
“Comrades of the pen, you are not mere observers of this struggle. You are an integral part of the trade union movement.
Your recorders and keyboards are no less important than our placards and negotiation tables.
They are the instruments with which we shape the narrative, counter the propaganda of the bourgeoisie, and awaken the consciousness of the masses.
During the Dangote crisis, we saw how your platform was heavily used for a campaign of calumny and disinformation against workers.
“We learnt a bitter lesson. Today, we urge you: do not allow your platforms to be used to legitimize this new legislative assault.
Your duty as Labour Correspondents is twofold.
“While we confront this ancient enemy in its new guise, we are simultaneously facing a legislative and political onslaught that threatens to undo the very foundations of workers’ protection in Nigeria”.
Ajaero said the theme of the conference: “Improving Internal Resource Mobilization for Financing Anti-Poverty and Inequality Interventions in Nigeria,” struck at the very heart of the national crisis, maintained that It was a sounding of the beagle against the relentless forces that impoverish the people and concentrate wealth in the hands of a few.
According to him: “The sub-theme, “Casualisation and Fair Labour Recruitment,” exposes one of the most virulent tools used by big Capital to achieve this; the systematic erosion of decent work and the creation of a precarious, disposable workforce.
The NLC president said: “One you can hire and fire at will the way you use and discard rags that are no longer useful.
This is the modern face of the class struggle, and it requires our collective effort to grapple with”.
Speaking at the event, the managing director of NSITF, Barr. Oluwaseun Faleye, represented by Mrs. Bridget Ashang
General Manager/Regional Manager, Abuja Region, urged government, labour unions, the media, and industry players to collaborate in the issue of enforcing the Employees’ Compensation Act law, saying it is not merely about penalties; it is about saving lives, preserving dignity, and upholding justice in the world of work.
He said: “In the oil and gas industry, every barrel extracted, every flare burned, every platform manned, is powered by human labour.
“When we protect that labour, we protect our economy, our families, and our nation’s future.
The Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund remains steadfast in its mission to ensure that every worker who contributes to national productivity enjoys the security of compensation when the unexpected happens”.
The Director General reaffirmed the fund’s commitment to deepen collaboration with all stakeholders to make enforcement not just an administrative process, but a moral and national duty.
He said: “The Employees’ Compensation Scheme (ECS) is not a duty. It is justice”. Who best to be advocates of this justice to the Nigerian labour force, advocates of this citizen-centric scheme other than the conscience of the Masses, the 4th/5th estate”.
Managing Director thanked the Labour Correspondents Association of Nigeria for the important platform that keeps the issues of workers’ welfare and social justice in national focus.
He said The NSITF remains committed in its mission to protect every Nigerian worker through effective implementation of the Employees’ Compensation Scheme, ensuring that those who build the nation are not abandoned when misfortune strikes.
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