Just In: Stakeholders Urge President Bola Tinubu To Address Indecent Work And Child Labor, Calls For Improved Wages....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Concerns have been raised by stakeholders in the labor union sector regarding the growing prevalence of indecent work and child labor in Nigeria. They are appealing to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take action and create more favorable and respectable workplaces for Nigerian workers as a means of combating poverty.

These stakeholders caution that the nation is facing a potentially explosive situation unless the federal government addresses the issues surrounding increasing school dropouts and child labor throughout the country. They are urging President Tinubu to implement a living wage for Nigerian workers, considering the harsh economic conditions that have rendered the current National Minimum Wage insufficient.

One of the stakeholders, Comrade Ibrahim Garuba, the President of the National Union of Food, Beverage and Tobacco Employees of Nigeria (NUFBTE), emphasized that the government’s efforts to combat child labor have been insufficient. He attributed the increase in child labor to the harsh economic climate, which has pushed many families into poverty.

Garuba emphasized that the International Labour Organization (ILO) defines decent work as providing dignity, fair wages, and safe working conditions for employees. He called on the federal government to work towards providing Nigerian workers with a living wage.

Similarly, Comrade Gbenga Komolafe, the General Secretary of the Federation of Informal Workers Organisations (FIWON), called for more robust economic policies from the federal government. Komolafe pointed out that conditions for Nigerian workers, especially those in the informal sector, have become significantly more challenging since the removal of subsidies.

He highlighted the increased cost of production, the scarcity of the national currency due to currency redesign policies, and the substantial hikes in fuel prices as factors contributing to the struggles faced by informal workers. Komolafe also pointed to the significant depreciation of the Naira as a consequence of parallel and official market harmonization, which has compounded the difficulties faced by workers in the informal sector.