Labour union urges FG to do more to support, protect workers involved in battle against COVID-19

The United Labour Congress of Nigeria (ULC) has called on the Federal Government to urgently roll out a plan to support workers who are at the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19 Pandemic and also those who provide essential services that are ancillary to the overall success against the outbreak.

The Labour union said it had to draw the attention of the Federal Government to the urgent need to support the workers because it has received several complaints from its affiliate unions of continuous harassment and intimidation against their members in the hands of some overzealous Security operatives while on the way to or back from their places of work, while others have been beaten in the process of delivering their services.

Navy reduces smuggling in A’Ibom coastal communities

The ULC in a release signed by its National President, Comrade Joe Ajaero added that, “These workers complain of being side-lined from the distribution of the COVID-19 relief package which they see in the news on daily basis. They believe that they are being punished rather than rewarded for their commitment to the battle against the pandemic.”

According to him, the continued manhandling of workers in the Electricity sector, in the Oil and Gas sector, in the Aviation sector, in the Health Sector and indeed even journalists who are in their various beats is unacceptable and ought to be corrected immediately.

“Without these men, there will be no electricity for our homes, no fuel to run our cars and generators, our airspaces will remain unmanned, thus exposed to abuse and much more, the hospitals both traditional and orthodox cannot remain open. How can we win this battle if these men are not actively supported by protecting them and compensating them for the risks they take on daily basis?

“Congress is therefore worried that workers who are at the frontlines of this battle are not adequately protected, not only against being infected but from violence of agents of the government who are supposed to protect them so that they can provide their services as required by all in the effort to contain the outbreak.

“We cannot effectively engage this Pandemic without giving Nigerian workers the needed support and encouragement to give their best. For this to happen, their protection must be uppermost in the minds of all actors within the society. If these workers cannot work, the battle against the disease is dead on arrival. It is only when the environment allows them to do their work unfettered that the collective effort against COVID-19 can be successful.

“Consequently, the ULC urges the government to quickly sensitise its security operatives on the need to change their attitudes towards members of the public, especially those who are at work. We had expected proper education of the agents and other enforcers of governments policies on the content thus essence of the entire strategy to contain the outbreak. If this had been done adequately, we are sure that the reports we are getting from the field would have been different,” the labour union said.