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Organised Labour in the construction industry yesterday raised alarm over what it terms impending doom as a result of some employers still exposing workers to danger on construction sites.
The National Union of Civil Engineering Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW), in a statement made available to Daily Sun, raised the alarm that hundreds of workers were presently working on Dangote Refinery Constructio1n Sites in contrary to the directives of government at curbing the spread of coronavirus in the country.
The president of the union, Amechi Asugwuni, who is also the deputy president, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), said employers in the sector should be commended for heeding directive and advise of the Federal Government to maintain all forms of physical and social distancing including temporary closure of all places of work.
This he said was in line with Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) advice to its members as this will go a long way in curtailing the spread of COVID-19.
He said, “However, reports reaching us, are that Hundreds and Thousands of workers at the Lekki Axis of Lagos State on the Dangote Refinery Construction Sites are fully working as against the Federal Government and Lagos State Government directives and ban of such act.
“The report has it further, that the workers who are in their thousands at the said job sites are Nigerians and other none Nigerians who are mostly Indians nationals. The act of Dangote Company is not just condemnable, but most unfortunate, I am, therefore, calling on the Federal and Lagos State governments and all other relevant Governments agencies to call the Dangote Lekki Project Management to order, by directing immediate closure of the Lekki job sites as a measure to save and protect workers from exposure to the COVID-19 PANDEMIC.”
He lamented that it was unfortunate that the management of the company are not in alignment with what the chairman of the company is doing towards putting an end to the scourge in the country.
“One irony we find difficult to understand is that, why the chairman of Dangote Group – Alhaji Aliko Dangote is donating money to the Federal Government and coordinating other donations from other well-meaning Nigerians, all in an effort to help treat and fight the spread of the COVID-19, but back home, Dangote management is compelling workers at the Lekki Project Site to come to work in their thousands and mixed with all nationals of different countries. especially Indians, where it was reported recently that one of the Indians in the job site who just return to Nigeria showed signs of coronavirus, thereby raising fears among workers as most of the Indians, if not all, returned to Lagos, Nigeria after the new year holidays,” he said.
He explained that the workrs at the site were not unionised as Dangote Management has done everything possible including hiding under the Free Trade Zone Policy to denying workers the right to organize into their unions, whereby workers can express their feelings against any form of maltreatment or injustices such as what is happening presently.
He added, “This act we consider inhuman and unjust. The union remains committed and shall continue to do everything legitimately possible towards ensuring that workers in the Dangote job sites are fully organize into the union as enshrined in the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
