The President of Junior Chamber International (JCI) Nigeria, Olawale Bakare, has called for improved labour rights and safer working conditions on the occasion of this year’s Workers’ Day.
He said Workers’ Day, first celebrated in 1923 in Chennai, is an opportunity to celebrate the unity of the workforce in more than 80 countries and the true essence of the working class.
Bakare, in a press release on Sunday, called on employers to commit to improving the welfare of employees and “grow from the antique mentality of profitability to the new idea of humanity and growth. Employees are the most critical stakeholders in the success of any organisation.”
He said that as with the COVID-I9 era, employees should re-imagine the conventional workplace and improve conditions for remote workers. Bakare said the organisation, through the JCI RISE Initiative, is already on this path.
“As can be seen since the post-COVID era, the world is moving out of the 8-5pm office work format to remote work systems. We must not shy away from the attendant issues of lack of respect for work hours by employers and the resultant mental health issues caused by burn out of remote workers. More than anytime as well, in the name of cost saving, organisations are seen investing less in the development of the workforce.
“This is why as an organisation, JCI launched the JCI RISE initiative focused on the future of jobs, sustaining and rebuilding economies while conversely preserving mental health and well being. With this initiative, we can reimagine the way our businesses and communities work. We have the unique opportunity to look at our traditional ways of doing things and find new paths that will make the workplace a better place for our workers,” he said.
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The JCI president also called on all relevant stakeholders to use the occasion of the May Day celebration to work towards ensuring an end to the strike embarked on by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). He said the protracted strike poses grave consequences for the future of students and the next generation of workers.
“It is therefore lamentable and somewhat ironic that on a day like this, there is an ongoing months-long ASUU strike; a strike which effectively prevents one of the most important institutions in the country from doing their noble job of continually moulding the workforce of tomorrow.
“It is in this light, the spirit of May Day, that the entire leadership of JCI Nigeria sends out a plea for all necessary quarters to come to progressive terms and the ASUU strike be suspended.”
For students, Bakare urged them to make good use of the duration of the ASUU strike and prepare themselves for the future by taking “advantage of the new workforce of the 21st century. Think outside the box. Think globally. With the internet, the world is now a global village. You can be a Nigerian working in Nigeria and earning legitimate foreign currency whilst working for a firm abroad. All that is required is a commitment to upskilling and a desire to be so good that you cannot be ignored. Hence, pick an in-demand skill today, commit to skilling up and being super excellent at it and I promise you, in no time, you will be sought after,” he added.
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2022 Workers’ Day: JCI Nigeria calls for improved labour rights, end to ASUU strike
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