100,000 workers lose their jobs in construction industry,says Unions

THE two unions
in the nation’s
construction
industry, National
Union of Civil
Engineering
Construction,
Furniture and
Wood Workers,
NUCECFWW, and
Construction and
Civil Engineering
Senior Staff
Association,
CCESSA, weekend
in Lagos, said no
fewer than
100,000 workers
have been
sacked by Multi-
National
Corporations, MNCs
and indigenous
contractors over
government
refusal to pay for
completed and
certified projects
in the last one
year.
At a joint
briefing, the two
unions claimed
that not less
than N100 billion
debt remained
unpaid to these
contractors by
both Federal and
state
governments,
and appealed to
government to
release money to
these
contractors to
save the industry
and suffering
workers.
Speaking on
behalf of the
two unions,
President of
CCESA, Dr.
Augustine Etafo,
said as part of
the plans to
attract the
attention of
government to
the plight of the
workers, the
union would hold
a peaceful
protest rally in
Abuja, where all
the construction
sites would be
shut down for a
day.
According to him,
“governments at
various levels
have not been
honouring the
agreements on
contracts by
refusing to pay
for contracts
that had already
been executed
and certified
complete. As we
speak now,
governments
owe contractors
over N100 billion.
Consequently,
capital projects
are disrupted and
contractors have
moved out of
sites for lack of
funds”.
Governments
have also
reneged on
payment for
cash backing
projects. This is
democracy and if
the political
leaders are
sincere to deliver
to the people
who voted them
into powers the
dividends of
democracy, then
they must be
ready to settle all
financial
obligations on
capital projects
that have been
executed and
certified
complete. These
projects border
on
infrastructures,
which form the
bedrock of any
development of
any nation.”
“The implication
of this is the
attendant job
losses and in the
last one year,
about 100,000
workers have
been severed
from their jobs.
Most of these
workers were
sent home by
their employers
without any
benefits because
of the debts
owed them by
Governments.
The job losses
can also be linked
with the high
crime wave and
insecurity in the
country, as the
saying goes that
‘An idle hand is
devil’s
workshop’. This
has compounded
our security
problems, and
we know that a
country that has
security
challenges are
not investor’s
first option to
put down their
money.
Worse still, this
has led to
disruption of
family system,
family heads are
no longer able to
discharge their
obligation
because for
every one
worker, there at
least ten (10)
dependants. This
leads to increase
in poverty among
the Nigerian
people.”
”Many workers
and employers
have lost their
lives as a result
of this
insensitivity on
the part of the
political leaders.
Employers who
borrowed at high
interest rates
from banks to
execute projects
with the hope
that after
completing such
projects they will
be able repay the
loans could not
honour that
obligations on the
loans; and as
banks are on
them to repay
the loans, they
suffer lots of
sicknesses and
even death.
One of the
construction
companies just
lost its managing
director recently.
Governments’
refusal to settle
financial
obligations on
contracts has
made some
contractors to
start cutting
corners which
lead to project
failure.
We are therefore
appealing to
governments at
all levels, federal,
state and local
government, to
without further
delay begin
payments of
debts they owe
contractors to
save lives and
jobs, develop the
country and
deliver dividends
of democracy to
the people.”