4 days Ago By Adeola Akinbobola
The Trade Union Congress (TUC) Thursday said the casualisation of Nigerian workers is a tragedy. TUC president, Festus Osifo, stated this during the unveiling of Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association (CCESSA’s) ultra-modern secretariat and public presentation of two books on health and safety, in Abuja. Osifo said casualisation is a tragedy as it cuts across the various affiliates, including Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
“You also have contract staff and casual workers there. We work to earn better pay, right? So if these contract workers – or you call them casual workers – if they have the opportunity to be able to negotiate collective bargaining agreement and they have it in place, their lives will be better. “So, some of the affiliates have done it, and I think CCESSA is also pushing in that regard,” he said.
Also, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, while reacting, said the federal government is doing a lot as far as the construction sector is concerned, but it is baffling that these particular people are being casualised by their employers. He commended CCESSA for its beautiful building, stating that it will go a long way in improving engineering services in the country and it will be a good example for other associations to copy. “We have a lot of workers in the construction industry.
But this is also the industry that the issue of minimum wage is an issue. Even the discussion of the last minimum wage, the TUC representatives were not considered. The national president of CCESSA, Comrade Ayodeji Adeyemo, said the milestone marked a significant achievement in the history of the association and a testament to the dedication and hard work of members.
He said the achievement is a reflection of the dedication of members, the support of various employers and the commitment of past and present leaders of the association who worked tirelessly to bring the vision to life. He said the book launch, which coincided with the commissioning, was a significant milestone to document and share knowledge, best practices and research in the construction and civil engineering fields. He urged members to continue striving for excellence, innovating and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in construction and civil engineering and not to forget minding their health whilst at it.
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