By; IBRAHIM ADAMU, Kaduna
As Nigeria joined the world in marking this year’s Decent Work Day Celebration , Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC ) , Kaduna State Council , Comrade Ayuba Magaji Suleiman has scored the state Government low in compliance with global labour law and practice as domesticated in the Nigerian constitution.
Comrade Suleiman knocked Governor Nasir el-Rufai for his frequent sacking of workers without a recourse to laid down provisions guiding such action , adding that no administrator since the creation of the state had treated wage earners in high contempt as the present occupant of Sir Kashim Ibrahim House.
He lamented plights of workers in the state and Nigeria in general , describing condition of service , salaries earned in relation to the current reality on ground where he said high cost of living , unstable naira , high inflation rate , unstable government economic policies among others as factors militating against labour achieving decent and just job.
He noted that decent work had become a universal objective included in major human rights declarations , United Nations Resolutions and outcome documents from major conferences , adding that , September 7 had been earmarked since 1987 as Decent Work Day every year.
The labour activist charged employers of labour , federal state and local govts in particular to treat workers with dignity, respect and commitment to their welfare and wellbeing which according to him would go a long way in stabilizing the society and ensuring peace and crime free country .
” With more than 200 million jobs lost to the covid-19 pandemic and another hundred million still at risk and large numbers of unemployed people – vast majority of whom are women – simply dropping our of the labour market , We call on every government to develop jobs plans .
” The ILO demands a target of 575 million jobs and formalization of at least half of informal jobs by 2030 .
” That’s the only way to reach the UN sustainable Development Goal 8 .
” Trade Unions are calling on governments to to get around the table with unions , employers and others to set ambitious targets to create and retain jobs as a matter of urgency.
” And meeting these targets will only be possible in a friendly and conducive climate of labour in order to stabilize the planet and deliver a zero carbon economy , ” he said .
