A union leader, Mr Ola Oyegoke,  has proposed to the organised labour to unite and sponsor a bill that will forestall employment of casual workers in Nigeria.
Oyegoke, General Secretary, Shops and Distributive Trade Senior Staff Association (SHOPDIS) said this in an interview with newsmen in Lagos, on Monday.
“Casual labour is irregular employment or a part-time labour.
“It is a term of employment agreement that differs from company to company,’’ he said.
According to him, it is time for the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria to re-strategise to tackle the problem of casual employment in the country.
He commended the organised labour for holding rallies in the past to protest against “casualisation’’, adding that if a bill was sponsored and passed it could help to curtail the problem.
He said that millions of casual workers were poorly paid and dehumanised which contributed to the increase to stealing in some companies.
“If an employer does not pay a worker well, the person could be forced to pilfer when the opportunity arises.
“Some companies have lost billions of naira as a result of internally organised robberies,’’ he said.
Oyegoke said that the distributive union was negatively affected as a result of casual employment policy which had denied many Nigerians the opportunity to live well.
He said that it was regrettable that foreign companies had long cashed in on the desperation of many jobless people to employ them as casuals and treat them recklessly.
The unionist said that the Nigerian labour market was awash with numerous troubles, adding that because work was instrumental to man’s livelihood, “people go out to work under the worst conditions’’.
“Some shops have closed, while some have sacked workers because they depend on foreign exchange to import goods,’’ the union leader said.
Oyegoke urged workers to be patient with the policies of the current administration for it to make the desired impact that would provide positive change to the economy.
However, some workers have attributed the increase in “casualisation’’ to outsourcing of jobs following abolition of some jobs and services in the public sector.
The workers said that when the government concession some private sector organisations, they were engage to perform the jobs often on temporary basis with uncertain wages and conditions and without job security.

L-R: Regional Officer, International Civil Aviation Organization, Mr Albert Taylor, Director, Operation and Training, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Capt. Abdullahi Sidi, Managing Director, Nigeria Airspace Management Agency, Mr Ibrahim Abdulsalam, Regional Director, International Air Transport Association, Mrs Adefunke Adeyemi and Director, Airport Operations, Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria, Capt. Henry Omegue, at the Runway Safety Workshop in Lagos on Monday