By Victor Ahiuma-Young & Dayo Johnson
AKURE—NATIONAL Un ion of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic Products Employees, NUCFRLANMPE, yesterday called on the National Assembly, to do more to arrest the rising cases of slave labour in the country through proactive and punitive legislation.

At the opening ceremony of its 23rd Annual National Industrial Relations seminar taking place in Akure, the Ondo state capital, the union lamented that besides the issues of unfair labour practices such as casualisation, outsourcing and contract staffing, Nigerians were now being subjected to all forms of dehumanising policies and practices by employers in their desperate drive for profit maximization.

Addressing the gathering, President of the union, Mr. Boniface Isok, however commended the efforts of the House of Representatives in trying to checkmate some of these unfair labour practices through a legistration that had passed the second reading.

Though existing law limits employment of casuals to six months, employers have continued to circumvent it because of little or no punitive measure by the regulator, the ministry of labour.

According to Isok, “it is quite sad that in 2005, the Federal Government introduced casual, temporary or contract staffing into the country thereby placing Nigerian workers under slavery. How can the Federal Government encourage casualisation when there is high level of unemployment in the country? Those in the corridor of power should not look after themselves, but think of the citizens who elected them.

“We want to give kudos to the House of Representatives for the successful passage of the second reading of a bill to provide a time frame for the regulation of casual or temporary employment to permanent employment by all employers of labour in Nigeria. This shows that our elected officers can feel the pulse of the masses if they choose to.”