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Employees groan over poor wages, say ‘we are not celebrating’

By Saxone Akhaine (Kaduna) and Toyin Olasinde (Lagos)
01 May 2017   |   4:37 am
Workers have decried the poor welfare and working conditions offered by employers in the country.

Lagos State chairman of NLC, Idowu Adelakun. PHOTO: GETTYIMAGES

Workers have decried the poor welfare and working conditions offered by employers in the country.

They said they were not in celebration mood, as nothing is in place to improve their lives.

Industrial unions like the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and United Labour Congress (ULC) all agreed that workers have not benefitted from the nation’s abundant resources.

In an interview with The Guardian, the Lagos State chairman of NLC, Idowu Adelakun, expressed displeasure over the plight of workers in the country.

He said: “Labour creates wealth, and the wealth has increased, but as workers in Nigeria, what has been our condition; have we actually benefitted from the wealth of the nation?

“In fact, poverty among the working class has continued to increase. We are just a pool of poor workers and therefore, I think this year’s May Day calls for us to dedicate ourselves both as leaders and members to our collective struggle to continue to agitate for what is right in our society.

“I have said it clearly, poverty has continued to increase in our land, and that is why there is no way the issue of insecurity can be addressed without addressing the twin issues of poverty and unemployment. We will be deceiving ourselves. There is no way they can be addressed.”

Meanwhile, Labour has charged the Federal Government to create job opportunities and ensure that factories which shut down due to downturn in the nation’s economy are reopened.

Labour leader and Vice President of Industrial Global Union, Issa Aremu yesterday said, “Labour is pushing for revival of closed factories for sustainable jobs.”

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