New Year message by the chairman trade union congress of Nigeria, Lagos state council, comrade Gbenga Ekundayo
- Comrades, Ladies and Gentlemen, first of all I will like to wish everybody a happy new year and I also pray that the new year which is already full of expectations will bring forth good fortune for the actualization of our set goals.
2. Comrades, the battle against Covid-19 pandemic is yet to be won, especially against the backdrop of the Omicron variant making waves across the world. This unfortunately, is forcing world economies to shut down once again and if adequate measures are not put in place, it will invariably throw workers’ return to the office into disarray and at the same time force companies of all types to rethinking their plans to bring workers back to the office. The new omicron variant might just have added another layer of uncertainty.
As a state council of a labour Center, we are of the view that there will be a constant stream of new variants as well as surges and waning of cases. However, that shouldn’t disrupt normal business activity at every possible trigger, because layered protection like masks, vaccinations and ventilation are highly effective at preventing virus spread in a workplace. On the strength of this, we want to call on the State Government not to press the panic botton yet. Rather, we should look for ways to encourage and motivate people to take the vaccine. This is the way to go.
3. Comrades, at the beginning of 2021, we promised to vigorously pursue our Housing projects for workers as a way of addressing the housing challenges members are facing in Lagos State. I wish to report that we are making serious progress in that direction and we are strongly committed to moving to site in the new year upon completion of all necessary documentations. We have physically identified identified location and have received the electronic survey. The developers should present designs and pricing soon. Therefore, I want to urge all our members to position themselves properly to enable them tap from these housing projects.
4. Furthermore, there is no doubting the fact that the working relationship between the unions and their various managements, particularly in the private sector of the economy in recent times can best be described as toxic, based on the attack on workers rights in the work place by some employers who willfully push workers’ rights to the back burner.
5. To this end, we shall in the new year help to strengthen all warn out ties and help build bridges of relation between the concerned unions and their management. This, we believe, will further help to promote productivity as well as industrial peace and harmony.
6. Comrades, TUC Lagos State Council shall throw its full weight behind affiliate unions in Lagos, particularly where there is high volume of anti-labour activities and practices. We shall provide all the needed support for concerned affiliates. We therefore urge affiliate unions to redouble their commitment in this regard.
7. Comrades, as a State Council, we are equally committed to our capacity building programme for all Affiliates of TUC in Lagos State. This we have done through training and retraining programmes for Union Leaders in the State and we intend to continue in that direction because we strongly hold the view of Late Nelson Mandela who once said and I quote ” Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” As a State Council, we firmly subscribe to the fact that only proper education sets people up to grow personally, professionally, and socially because it helps them to solve problems and help others. We shall continue to invest in the education of our members.
8. Also, as part of our commitment as a State Council to ensure that members are not stranded in the present harsh economic environment that continue to erode the value of their take home pay, TUC Lagos State Council proactively set up an Agric Cooperative Society aimed at empowering its members in Lagos. I wish to stress that within the last one year, we have intensified efforts in our membership drive and we have also extended our hands of partnership and collaboration to the Lagos State Ministry of Agric as well as other strategic Social partners in the Agric Value Chain. We intend to commence operation in the new year and we are also using this opportunity to extend our invitation to other partners to key into the opportunities that this venture will provide. We strongly belive this will help in employment generation and will further boost the IGR of the State.
9. In addition, I will like to reassure our members that our quest and pursuit for a permanent Secretariat is still very much on course. We shall do everything humanly possible to make sure we leave our rented apartment in the year 2022. In view of this strong commitment, We shall continue to talk to our strong partners particularly the Lagos State Government
on how to ensure this perennial Secretariat challenge is finnaly put to rest. This is necessary if we are to reposition the State Council and make it more responsive to the yearnings of members.
10. Furthermore, we shall ensure we carry out a proactive oversight functions as well as pay critical attention to government policies and programmes that may impact the general welfare and working conditions of our members as we approach the electioneering periods.
Comrades, we have alot to do in the new year. Therefore, I call on every comrade to support and give us the needed push so that collectively, we can deliver on our set targets.
I wish you all a Happy new year.
Thank you.
Comrade Gbenga Ekundayo.
Chairman
TUC
Lagos State Council
