By Victor Ahiuma-Young

The Precision, Electrical and Related Equipment Senior Staff Association, PERESSA, has challenged the trade union movement to intensify the fight against casualisation and other anti-worker practices, describing prolonged temporary employment without job security as exploitation.

PERESSA President, Rufus Olusesan, in a speech in Lagos, called on organised labour to launch a vigorous campaign to end casualisation, particularly among young Nigerians, and demand decent working conditions for workers across the country.

Olusesan lamented that workers were facing a growing employment crisis characterised by unemployment, precarious jobs, low wages, inadequate social protection and restrictions on the right to organise.

He identified casual and contract employment without job security or trade union rights as a major challenge confronting young Nigerians.

“Our young people face precarious work — casual, contract jobs with no job security and with the denial of the right to a trade union,” he said.

He also expressed concern over rising living costs and low wages, which he said had made it increasingly difficult for young workers to cope with prevailing economic realities.

According to him, the shortage of decent employment opportunities was contributing to the growing migration of young Nigerians, popularly known as the “Japa Syndrome.” He also warned that workers in the digital economy were increasingly exposed to long working hours without adequate protection.

Despite these challenges, Olusesan noted that young workers were organising and demanding better working conditions.

“From tech hubs in Computer Village at Ikeja to farms in Kebbi, from classrooms to construction sites, young Nigerians are demanding something simple: Decent Work,” he declared.

He stressed that decent work must guarantee not just income but also dignity, job security, fair wages, social protection and the right of workers to organise.

Unions must intensify fight

Olusesan issued a strong warning to employers against using short-term contracts to deny workers permanent employment and basic labour rights.

“To Employers: Stop the casualization of young workers,” he declared.

Illustrating the extent of the practice, he said: “A young worker on a 3-month contract renewed for 5 years is not just a casual worker, he is also a slave being brutally exploited.”

He urged employers to provide stable jobs, decent wages and social protection, while calling on the government to implement policies that generate sustainable employment opportunities for young Nigerians.

He also advocated increased investment in education and skills development, stressing that the economy must create stable jobs rather than perpetuate precarious employment.

Charging the trade union movement to take the lead in confronting the problem, Olusesan urged organised labour to resist anti-worker policies and build a strong campaign against casualisation and unfair labour practices