Labour expresses concern over rising cases of school dropouts, child Labour, indecent work

By allcitynews.ng

Labour union leaders have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to create more conducive atmosphere for decent workplace across the country.

Just as they warned that the country is sitting on keg of gunpowder that could explode any moment if and when Federal Government fails to tackle issues of rising cases of school dropouts and indecent work across the country and child-labour.

They charged Mr President to ensure the ongoing subsidy removal palliatives are evenly shared among Nigerians.

Similarly they reiterated their call on FG to prune child labour in line with International Labour Organisation law governance child wellbeing in order to carry youths along in creating peaceful coexistence following the rising cases of school dropouts based on inability of parents to send them to schools.

Identifying poverty and unemployment as the main roots of school drop outs, child labour and indecent work in the land, they called on Mr President to help reduce crime by taking care of the roots of child labour and school dropouts.

The Labour leaders who made this known to allcitynews.ng recently cited the harsh working environment in most workplaces as reason for their calls.

On his part, the President of National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees of Nigeria (NUFBTE), Comrade
Ibrahim Garuba noted that government has not done enough in checkmating child labour that is on daily increase because of harsh economy which has pushed many families into poverty level has not been tamed by government.

“Child labour is very rampant in all the industries in Nigeria because of poverty.
Out of harsh economic conditions, children are being forced to do all sorts of works in factories to support their parents at the detriment of their schooling. And most factories are guilty of this as they see them cheap labour.”

According to Garuba: “Although International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention has spelt out what decent work means, including ability to provide a dignify workplace, fair wages, and safe conditions for workers but most workers are not enjoying decent work. FG must work in providing Nigerian workers living wage.”

Just as he charged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to create move conducive atmosphere for decent work to work and save school children who having dropped out from schools because of poverty to go back to classes.

“Decent work is about sound work opportunities that are productive and give room for respect of workers right.”

In addition, Garuba stated that Decent work goes beyond ordinary or mere job but it is the type of job that can guarantee job security with all entitlements attached, it is
about fair income and economic stability.

Garuba claimed that lack of stable security in the land has forced most companies to resort to cheap labour and forced most workers into accepting exploitative worker for survival.

Likewise, the General Secretary Federation of Informal Workers Organisations (FIWON) Comrade Gbenga Komolafe in his remark also wants FG to come out with more robust economic policies.

In addition, Komolafe lamented the hash conditions Nigerian workers, especially those in informal sector have been going through since subsidy removal.

He said “informal work has grown from the uncomfortable threshold of 80 percent we used to complain about to over 90 percent according to the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics.”

According to Komolafe, “the year 2023 has been particularly challenging year for workers in informal sector based on hike in cost of productions and since removal of subsidy. Early in the year, the Federal Government announced an ill adviced currency redesign policy which led to scarcity of the National currency while basic infrastructures for electronic commerce crumbled, pushing millions of informal businesses into the precipice of insolvency. Then we have had the over 300 per cent increase in fuel price while the Naira value has also nosedived by more than 100 per cent since the so-called parallel and official markets were harmonized.”

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