Eluonye Konyegwuaehi
06 September 2014, Sweetcrude, Houston – National Union of Civil Engineering Construction Furniture and Wood Workers, NUCECFWW, has called on Federal Government to re-appraise the existing law guiding expatriate quota to create employment opportunity for the teeming Nigerian youths.
The union at its National Executive Council, NEC decried the expatriate quota abuse by foreign companies especially Asians and Chinese who brought expatriates to take over Nigerian jobs saying “it is against the Nigerian Content Development, NCD, Act.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the NEC Meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom, members called on the necessary organ of government to review the process of granting expatriate permit through proper synchronisation as well as ensuring that expatriate quota is not abused.
According to the communiqué by the President General, Comrade Amechi Asugwuni and the General Secretary, Comrade Babatunde Liadi, “Therefore the NEC-in-session call on the necessary organ of Government to review the process of granting expatriate permit through proper synchronization as well as ensuring that expatriate quota are not abused”
The union’s NEC demanded for a properly reconstituted inter-ministerial department and agency committee that will co-opt labour unions in recommending and approving expatriate registration and re-affirmed workers inalienable rights to belong to the union of their choice in accordance with the laws of the land and ILO Conventions which had already been domesticated in Nigeria.
As such it charged the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity not to allow employer to scuttle processes and ensure prompt implementation of award against the employers.
The meeting however commended the alertness of the Union in monitoring of employers compliance with best industrial relations practices in the industry, noting that it has helped to reduce friction between the union and employer, put management on their toes, facilitate alertness and make both the Government and employers to appreciate the need to be proactive in nipping issues in the bud.
The union who condemned the state of casualisation and contract staffing in the country also resolved that any employment model or policy that is found to be deceptively exploitative with the tendency to degrade jobs or weakening the union will be strongly resisted.
On the dreaded Ebola virus disease, the union harped on the need for information and as such called on the national orientation Agency, Ministry of Health, Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) Faith-Base-Organizations (FBOs), Student Unions, Trader etc to step up preventive sensitization and awareness creation measures to ensure “Ebola Virus” free Nigeria.
It added, “Government is called upon to create quarantine zones in the Hospitals and in the same vein ensure that medical personnel’s are given life insurance policy.
“Government should ensure the need for the development of our research institute with the aim of producing a home grown base drug that may help in sustaining and assist in curing the disease.”
Meanwhile, the NEC at the meeting endorsed its National President
Comrade Amechi Asugwuni to vie for the position of the NLC Presidency in 2015.
The decision, the union stressed was borne out of Asugwuni’s antecedent in holding leadership position with great activism.
