Construction workers give FG a 21-day ultimatum to resolve conflicts in the sector

Construction workers belonging to the Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Workers Association (CCESSA) and the National Union of Construction Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW) have given the federal government a 21-day ultimatum to resolve the current dispute between contractors carrying out various civil construction projects for the federal government.

During a briefing to journalists in Abuja on Friday, the National President, Comrade CCESSA, Engr. Ayodeji Adeyemo and the National President – ​​NUCECFWW, Comrade Stephen Okoro, have said that both unions will be forced to call for industrial action in the construction industry in Nigeria to resolve these issues and prevent further job loss of their members.

In their opinion, the dispute arose as a result of the Minister’s unilateral imposition of new standard contract terms and conditions, contrary to the existing terms and conditions approved by the Public Procurement Office (BPP).

They raised the alarm that a total of 52,000 workers could lose their jobs as a result of the misunderstanding.

They said they had already lost 20,000 workers and that 32,000 workers were likely to be affected.

The union is affiliated with the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and the Nigerian Labor Congress (NLC), which represent senior and junior staff in the industry respectively.

They urged the Minister of Labor, David Umahi; Federation of Construction Industries (FOCI) and all concerned to amicably resolve the current conflict, failing which the Unions will be forced to call industrial action in the construction industry in Nigeria to resolve these issues to prevent further loss of jobs of our members

As he stated: “Some roads affected by conflicts. These are the main roads in Nigeria operated by major construction companies such as Setraco and Julius Berger, among others.

“The bag affected 10 percent of women and about 90 percent of men of all people affected.

The affected roads are Obajana, Abuja-Kano Road, Bodo-Bonny Road and East-West Road operated by Setraco and RCC.

“Other roads that will be affected are Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Julius Berger Road, Zaria-Sokoto Road, Edo-Auchi Road operated by Dantata and Sawoe.

“When you lay off people with family and other dependents. You are only calling for more uncertainty.

“Let us imagine that Nigeria is currently struggling with insecurity and you can imagine that when 52,000 workers are laid off, you expect the insecurity to be worse. And that’s not what we pray for.

“Furthermore, some of our members are dying the most right now, especially those who have retired or been laid off.

“And if you look at the way our members live now, it’s not encouraging at all.

“Currently, most of our members sleep in their offices. Nowadays, in a country that has a government, they are falling into poverty. We don’t think this will continue, so the impact is huge.

He said that the construction industry, as you know, is the second largest employer in Nigeria after the government, but with recent developments in the industry, we feel it is imperative that we inform the world of our plight to avoid a complete collapse of a sector that is already in distress. situation.

The purpose of this joint press release is to draw the attention and inform relevant groups and the general public about developments in the construction industry and their consequences.

They urged the Minister of Works that what was needed now was a form of rescue for the construction sector in a difficult situation, rather than any form of conflict.

They said both unions were also concerned about the impact of the prolonged unresolved conflict on investor confidence in the stability of the country’s business environment.

They called on the federal government to urgently develop a clear policy for strict compliance with payment terms.