By Victor Ahiuma-Young

STEEL and Engineering Workers Union of Nigeria, SEWUN,  has called on the Federal Government to ensure tahat laws on industrial accidents are implemented for victims to get their benefits.

Mr Umaru Osbuade, SEWUN’s Deputy President,  spoke on why some occupational accident victims did not get adequate compensation when injured.

NLC

According to Osbuade, “there is a labour law on how to compensate a worker who is injured at work, but it is not implemented. But some companies, especially those owned by expatriates, are guilty of abandoning any worker that sustained injury at workplace. The workers are the problem because many of them are engaged without proper conditions of service. The workers accept anything because of unemployment rate.

“Secondly, when there is any issue and it is taken to the appropriate official, the issue is delayed until the victims are forced to walk away. Also, the expatriate companies do not get the right advice from their legal partners on how to compensate workers.”

Osbuade stressed that the Federal Ministry of Labour must ensure that when such cases were brought before them, steps should be taken for the victims to get quick justice.

He, however, said it was inhuman to abandon an injured worker, saying that workers should join the labour union to ensure that their rights are protected.

Osbuade said that, “If a worker suffers workplace accident and it is reported to the right union, the union would declare a trade dispute with the company until compensation is paid.”