The National Union of Postal And Telecommunications Employees (NUPTE) which aims to protect and promote the rights and aspirations of its members, has called out Courier and Telecoms companies to desist from operating indecent jobs practice in Nigeria.
The President of the union Comrade Buba, Nehemiah while speaking at the World Day For Decent Work (WDDW) event, stated that the union would soon mobilize against any organization found guilty of indecent work practice.
Comrade Buba declared that international labor laws and standards are against employers of labour treating employees or infringing on the right of workers to unionism.
He said it is against the law of the Union as well as the International Labour Organization (ILO) for employers of labour to refuse an employee his/her right to belong to a union of their choice.
In his words, “NUPTE primary objective is to ensure that the social economic interest of members is secured by way of protecting their rights in all forms of workplace discrimination, Casualisation, slave labour or policies that are inconsistent with principles of decent work are eliminated.
“Most employment offered by these companies is outsourced, casualized, or time-specified. It is like a taboo for workers virtually in the couriers and telecoms sectors to belong to a union of their choice as doing such will automatically lead to job loss.
“Their jobs are subtly and strictly tied to their not joining a Union. NUPTE says this policy negates the international Labour Organizations’ Freedom of Association and the protection of the Right to Organize Convention, the Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining Convention which Nigeria is a signatory; Section 40 of the 1999 constitution as amended.”
“NUPTE as a matter of urgency call on the telecoms and courier companies to respect workers’ rights to JOIN NUPTE, and the extant labour Laws as parameters that guarantee Decent Work in its factual form embedded in it to protect and promote the rights and aspirations of our members.
The chairman of NUPTE further declared that the unionization of workers is a right and not a privilege, hence the need for the Telecoms and Courier companies to desist from the infringement of workers’ rights.