Business
Ex-PENGASSAN Boss Tasks Labour On Workers’ Welfare

Organised labour has been advised to refocus its attention to matters that affect the welfare of workers in the country.
Former President of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Mr Babatunde Ogun made the call in an interview with newsmen in Abuja, Monday.
Ogun said this was imperative as it was becoming difficult for workers to ensure prompt payment of living wages.
He noted that labour leaders in the country have deviated from the core mandate of the organised Labour and were concentrating on issues that have no direct bearing on the workers.
“We have seen some kind of deviations. I think the organised labour is now being carried away by their involvement in nation’s building and the politics.
“Organised labour should be more concerned about the unity and welfare of workers in the country.
“We need to use our position as organised labour and be more concerned about the unity and welfare of labour.
“We need to go back to the grassroots; we need to see how we can get back our mobilisation of the workers very well.
“The importance of labour is to ensure gainful employment, descent work, and also ensure adequate representation of workers,” he said.
He warned about discussions on national issues that did not directly affect the needs of workers, saying it could have an adverse effect.
According to him, labour leaders now fight more for the masses who are outside labour and for those who are better paid as workers.
He stressed the need for labour leaders to do internal re-organisation among themselves.
“There must be duty of purpose and they must be concerned about their unity to be able to fight for the workers.
“We have so many issues in Nigeria. As we speak, for almost three to four years, the minimum wage has become an issue that we cannot ensure its implementation.