The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), through the support of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) FAIRWAY Project, is making serious strategic effort towards ensuring the protection of human and labour rights of Nigerian migrant workers within and outside Africa, as well as the migrant workers in Nigeria. Its effort was recently described as ‘one step ahead’. CHRISTIAN APPOLOS reports:
Among the major actors and stakeholders who are taking effective actions and making serious impact in the campaign for the protection of human and labour rights of migrant workers within the migration governance space in Nigeria and Africa by extension, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is apparently topping the chart. Through its collaboration with the ILO-FAIRWAY Project on migration, the NLC has been in the forefront in all the strategic campaign and advocacy programmes in Nigeria, targeting the protection and promotion of migrant workers’ rights.
Apart from the series of intensive capacity building trainings of its affiliate unions’ Migration Desk Focal Pensions, awareness campaigns on the protection of migrant worker’s rights in various States in Nigeria, engagements with various stakeholders, including capacity building of journalists in the labour beat on the subject matter, the NLC has gone further to launch what it called, Trade Unions Guide On Return And Reintegration of Migrant Workers, to assist returning migrants workers with information tool to aid their reintegration.
Interestingly, while the migration governance space in Nigeria was still busy exploring and utilising the reintegration information tool guide hand book, the Congress once again took a swift move on the advantage of the ILO-FAIRWAY Migration Programme support to kickstart a study tagged; ‘The Landscape and Challenges Around Decent Work and Social Protection of Migration Workers in Nigeria’. Focused on decent work and access to social protection for migrant workers in Nigeria at workplaces, the study further seeks to ascertain the condition of migrant workers and building advocacy for better protection of their rights.
Gathered in Abuja last week to validate and adopt the report by all the affiliate unions and relevant stakeholders including the ILO representatives in Nigeria and Project Technical Officer, FAIRWAY Africa, the concept note of the validation meeting shed more light, saying; “It became expedient for the leadership of the NLC to validate, adopt, and be abreast with the outcome of the study and its relevance to the Congress and its affiliates as an advocacy tool to engage the government, employers and other stakeholders. Also, for the affiliates to sensitise and enhance their members’ capacities to promote fair recruitment and social protection for migrant workers.”
The note added that validation and adoption of the report will serve a major step to effectively engage and support fair recruitment for migrant workers and will contribute meaningfully to strengthen the overall decent work agenda for migrant workers, and ultimately reduce the serious challenges they faced in Nigeria.
“The study presents the key findings and recommendations resulting from the comprehensive research conducted in Lagos, Abuja, Kaduna and Kano, focusing on the construction, textile, agricultural, transport, health and informal economy sectors. The research underscores the significance of fair recruitment, wages, working and health, and pension for migrant workers’ wellbeing.” The concept note, concluded.
Speaking at the validation event, the FAIRWAY-Africa Project Technical Officer, Basanta Kumar Karki, who came from Ethiopia to join the meeting, said; “The report has many component which are really critical and important, and it is a good start. I am very happy that the report has reached this level. It raised many issues which are very pertinent and as well provided recommendations which are really useful to improve the conditions of migrant workers in Nigeria. That is why I am very happy.”
He went on to say; “Compare to where I am coming from, I have to really salute the Nigeria Labour Congress because the trade unions in Ethiopia has not yet gotten to point of considering the migrant workers coming into Ethiopia. The NLC is already a step ahead of them. For working already on how to protect the human and labour rights of migrant workers coming into Nigeria as they do for Nigerian citizens, that is indeed remarkable and I salute them for that.”
In addition, he noted “I am very much happy that the NLC is very committed. I am very sure that all the recommendations we have made today in regards to putting the missing components of decent work. I believe that NLC and the consultant working on it will do the needful. And this is something I can share with other countries where the ILO FAIRWAY are working: Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, as a good example from the Nigeria Labour Congress, to motivate the trade unions out there on how they can think on protecting the migrant workers who are coming into their countries. So that we can talk about migrant workers as a whole either in countries of destination or origin.
“The discussion for continuation of FAIRWAY project in 2024 is already ongoing online, because the issues we are dealing with, whether at the corridors of the Gulf countries or migrant workers within Africa continent, the challenges are still there. So there is still a need for FAIRWAY to continue. So we are in discussion with our generous donor who provide us with support: the Swiss Agency for Development and Corporation who is the initial donor for this project, and we are also working with other potential donors to supplement for the continuation of FAIRWAY face two.
“I am very much hopeful that it will come to effect in 2024 but maybe the scale and size could be a different one due to resources we have. We may scale down on our activity but effort will be continued towards the protection and promotion of the rights of migrant workers where they are.
“So I am really proud of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the actions it has taken, because it is considering Nigerian migrant workers outside and other migrant workers coming into Nigeria. And this step taken is really remarkable, though I see this as only the start, because we have a long way to go. So I really want to encourage the NLC to continue on their effort so that we can achieve the decent workers condition for all migrant workers.”
Earlier, the NLC Focal Person on Migration, Comrade James Eustace, at the sideline of meeting gave further insight on the study and said; “The issues around decent work deficit applies to all working people. But this study is with particular focus on migrant workers in Nigeria. That is, non-Nigerians working in Nigeria. And if it is obvious that even Nigeria citizens working in their country face decent work deficit, you can imagine what a non-Nigeria face.
“The findings from this report will help us build our advocacy issues. I am talking about advocacy campaigns issues that we are going to use to advocate for the protection of the labour and human rights of workers, especially migrant workers. When you hear people say evidence-based campaign, it is a campaign that does not base on hearsay or assumptions. It is a campaign that is based on practical testimonies of the migrant workers.
“So the unions are here so that once the report is adopted, it becomes part of unions’ policy. The report will then create pathways for us to further tackle issues around harassment at workplaces, low wages, etc. Then, discussion on how we can integrate these migrant workers into our unions so they can benefit from those things Nigerians who are in the unions benefit, will follow. Because one of the reasons workers are being maltreated is that they don’t have representation and they don’t have voices. But if they do have representation and voices in an organised manner like the union, their rights and interests would be better protected.”
On whether NLC’s intent is to fight for the migrant workers’ rights or just to unionise them. Comrade James said; “You can get people to join your union by fighting for them. When you say Oh, this migrant workers need to be protected and paid better wages, if that is done, they will know that there is somebody who is fighting for them. A good example is the textile union in Lagos State who has been able to organise migrant workers in the informal sector in what is called dye and apparel sector.
“When we sample the case of the testimony of the textile union and migrant workers in the sector, we considered it a star example. The migrant workers became interested in joining the union because by being a member of the union, the union ID helped to streamline levies and fees that the Lagos State government authority collects from people who are not members of the union. The union had negotiated a one fee that workers in that sector pay per annum, unlike those who are not members of the union that pay almost on a daily basis.
“So organizing workers through fighting for their rights and also letting workers know that when they are part of the union, their rights or interests are better protected, goes together.”
He also spoke on NLC’s collaboration in the quest to protecting migrant workers’ human and labour rights. ‘We are working with the civil society organizations and even government agencies. This report was also presented before the employers. NECA is the umbrella body of Nigeria employers and they buys into this, including that they will go into research on those findings that this report had revealed, to know who among the employer body is practicing any of the findings the report reveals to enable them tackle the issues as a responsible labour body.
“So we are walking wholly with all stakeholders including community leaders. When we talk about workplace, there are two major actors: the employer and the employee. And if we’re already collaborating with the Nigeria Consultative Employers Association (NEC) which is the umbrella body of Nigeria employers, it is indeed a good plus for us. We are equally working with the Ministry of Labour and Employment, as a regulatory agency especially in the area of inspection of work policies and issues around compensations and all of that. And they don’t just have important role in the issues of unfair labour practices but a dominant role to play because they are both the employer and the regulatory agencies and that is why we are working with them.”
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