National chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, has called on organised labour to challenge political leaders to ensure that state resources meet the needs of workers and other Nigerians.
Oshiomhole said this in Abuja on Friday at a reception in honour of the Director-General of International Labour Organisation (ILO), Guy Ryder.
Oshiomhole, a former labour leader, said the organised labour must adopt aggressive engagements to get political leaders to pay more attention to their welfare.
“We have to do things differently about minimum wage. So if every other cost is changing, and labour cost is constant…, somebody is being squeezed.
“Rising crises, stagnant wages, a very miserable lifestyle, and you have to fight for that,” he said.
“And we now see in Nigeria the difference between signing an agreement and the challenge of translating those laws, and even the contradiction of signing laws first before getting consultants to tell us how to implement these laws.
“Just to tell you that from inside, I am much more convinced that unions should not only exist, but should have the capacity and ruthlessly deploy that capacity to ensure that the resources of states are dissipated in favour of working people and working families.”
Mr Ryder said Nigeria trade union movements have made great impact in the defence of basic fundamental rights in line with the provisions of the organisation.
According to him, the organised labour has also played an extraordinary role in building the nation’s democracy which agrees with the fundamental values of the ILO.
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, commended the ILO for the privilege given to Nigeria to host the Global Youth Employment Forum.
