The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has tasked the trade unions and their allies to ensure that internationally, human and labour rights protections are guaranteed to all migrants.
President of NLC Comrade Ayuba Wabba gave the charge while speaking at the inaugural meeting of the National Trade Union Platform on Migration, held in Abuja recently.
Comrade Wabba said the Labour movement must forge a multi-stakeholders framework of trade unions and their allies to address the issues of migration internationally, regionally, sub-regionally and nationally, and “to ensure that internationally human and labour rights protections are guaranteed to all migrants.”
He said that the NLC shares in the global vision to engage in this process and take the lead in forging the multi-stakeholders framework.
According to him, “this is in line with the International Trade Union Congress (ITUC-Africa), other regional trade unions organization and the other allies to bring together members of African Trade Union Migration Network (ATUMNET), trade union leaders and their CSO friends across Africa to be exposed to and brainstorm on how to advance the fair, safe, orderly and regular migration.”
He pointed out that the inaugural meeting was an initiative and effort to support national trade unions to better understand the issues of migration, National Migration Policy, National Policy on Labour Migration, ECOWAS tool, Global Compact on Migration and other international instruments.
It would also help them to understand how best they can contribute to the attainment of better Migration Management, with particular reference to Labour Migration.
Besides, he said the gathering is to fashion out ways and strategies the trade unions can adopt to pursue and ensure effective implementation of the United Nations’ Global Compact that will be adopted come September, 2018.
Comrade Wabba said: “The NLC, as the umbrella of trade unions in Nigeria, will support all efforts to strengthen the understanding of the trade unions and our allies on free movement and migration and how they can actively contribute to better management of migration and link it to development and the actualization of the decent work agenda.
“We are sure that this platform will provide the necessary contributions and develop strategies and a list of demands within the context of promoting fair migration to the national governments as demands of working people and citizens of Nigerian and Africa.
“The NLC will contribute immensely to our struggle for better management of migration and to overcome limitations in the management of migration.”
He stated that the NLC have resolved to be committed to campaign, advocacy and all activities that will promote fair migration, while also calling on the government and other stakeholders to do same.
“There is no better way to do this than to increase the awareness level of our unions and members, to be committed to the struggle as well as strengthen the alliance relationship between workers and the “other” stakeholders in the society in ways to continue to enrich the call for fair migration.” Wabba said.
He emphasized that fair migration and responsive governance are some of the ways to tame hazards of migration, poverty and inequality, given that fair migration is critical to a better society.
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