The Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association (CCESSA) and the National Union of Civil Engineering Construction Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW) have threatened to halt work on major roads due to ongoing crises.
The unions, affiliated with the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria and the Nigeria Labour Congress, represent senior and junior staff in the construction industry.
At a news conference on the state of the construction industry on Friday in Abuja, the National President of CCESSA, Ayodeji Adeyemo, and NUCECFWW President, Stephen Okoro, raised alarms over the plight of construction workers.
According to Adeyemo, the construction industry is the second largest employer of labour in Nigeria after the government.
He expressed concern that many workers were being laid off by construction companies, creating a crisis in the sector.
“Over 30,000 workers have lost their jobs, and about 52,000 workers may lose their jobs if care is not taken. Over 20,000 have already lost their jobs in the last three months, and 32,000 will also lose their jobs if the conflicts are not resolved.
“We may have no choice but to stop work on major roads if the trend continues. Some of the roads affected by the conflicts are being handled by major construction companies like RCC, Setraco, Julius Berger, Dantata and Sawoe, among others.
“They are Obajana road, Abuja-Kano Road, Bodo-Bonny road, East-West road, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Zaria-Sokoto road, and Edo-Auchi road. When you sack people with families and other dependents, you are only calling for more insecurity in the country. Nigeria is currently grappling with insecurity, and you can imagine when 52,000 workers are laid off,” he fumed.
Adeyemo also highlighted the disagreement between the Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI) and the Minister of Works.
He noted that there is a total slowdown in the industry due to disagreements between contractors handling various civil construction projects for the Federal Government and the Ministry of Works.
This slowdown results from the unilateral imposition of new standard conditions of contracts by the Minister, contrary to the existing conditions as approved by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).
Adeyemo said this has affected employment in the industry, leading to the mass sacking of Nigerian workers who are members of the unions.
He stated that the unions have appealed to the Minister of Works, David Umahi, for a bailout to the distressed construction sector rather than any form of conflict.
“We call on the federal government to resolve the conflict in the industry by involving all stakeholders in contract awards.
“These stakeholders include the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Works, Council for Regulation of Engineers in Nigeria (COREN), and Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI), among others.
“We urge the Minister of Works, FOCI, and all concerned to amicably resolve the current conflict within 21 days; otherwise, the two unions will be compelled to declare industrial actions in the construction industry,” Adeyemo said.
The two unions also called for an end to banditry, kidnappings, and killings that have become so common in the country, urging security agencies to ensure the safety of their members and all Nigerians.
