Unions call for continuous training among workers

Trade Union leaders have called for continuous training among various unions to ensure workers’ power in workplace.

The leaders made the call at the 22nd Annual Kolagbodi Memorial Lecture in, Lagos, organised by one of their own, Abiodu Aremu.

The Guest Speaker, Ismail Bello, said world of work is undergoing structural shift, changing fast through global competition, innovation, increasing flexibility and informality.

He explained that the unions would overcome these challenges when they are organised, with proper trainings, education and information sharing among them.

Bello stated that the developments have impacted negatively on union’s membership, calling on the need to negotiate and defend the rights of workers in several sectors of the economy.

Bello said: “There is erosion evident in the changing employment relationship from stable, well remunerated dignified and protected jobs to a precarious form where basic rights are not respected and remuneration is poor but not guaranteed, impacting negatively not just the workplace, the workers and trade unions but also the larger society resulting in growing poverty and inequality.

“The situation is further accentuated by employers putting more pressure on workers and extracting more hours with decreasing pay through such strategies as casualisation and outsourcing and contract work.”

He continued: “Trade unions around the world are struggling to come to terms with this change much of which requires a profound rethinking of union roles and practices. It is time to reinvent our organization through innovative organizing strategies”.