NECA/NSITF move for better workplace safety

Improving on the workplace safety is the main thrust of this year’s Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) – Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA)

Safe Workplace Intervention Project (SWIP) held last week in Lagos.

The one day project which also aimed at identifying and solving problems associated with the Employees Compensation Act (ECA) 2010, analysed the status of the nation’s occupational health and safety of the  employees at the workplace as well as the compliance of the employers to the law.

Harping on the sensitivity of safety in today’s workplace and its importance to productivity and overall national development, stakeholders at the programme urged employers to prioritise occupational health and safety of their employees.

The NSITF noted that in spite of the importance and opportunity ECA 2010 has presented as safeguard and social net, some employers still undermine the safety of their employees.

Acting Managing Director of NSITF, Mr. Ismail Agaka, said while over 51, 000 employers had registered with the scheme, about 6,004,015 employees had been covered.

But he reasoned that the figure was quite small in comparison with the number of companies in the country.

He said if those registered so far were to be matched with the number of employers and employees in the country, it was obvious that NSITF still has a lot of work to do to get more participation from corporate organisations.

Agaka assured that the NSITF will intensify the drive and push for more participation, saying, “so far, we have registered over 51,000 employers, 6,004,015 employees. But when you juxtapose this with labour force and others, you will realize that this has not gone far.”

The NSITF reiterated the import of employers giving more attention to the occupational health and safety of their employees, as well as key into the Employee’s Compensation Act (ECA), which now ensures that injured workers were no longer abandoned to their fate.

He noted that the scheme had paid over N700 million as compensation to over 6,000 workers that sustained various degrees of injuries in the course of work.

While stressing further the importance and achievement of the ECA, Agaka said: “We have a family whose breadwinner died and after the computation of the entitlements, we are now paying up to N1.3million monthly to the beneficiaries. That represents 90 per cent of the last income of the deceased breadwinner”

NECA however, has warned its members against flouting the agreed definition of payroll in the payment of the one per cent required by the ECA, saying any employer that failed to respect the rule would regret it.

Director-General of NECA, Mr. Segun Oshinowo, recalled the controversy surrounding the definition of payroll deduction into the scheme, and said in order to resolve it, among other measures, a joint committee between employers and NSITF was set up to arrive at agreed definition of the payroll and mode of deduction among others.

He said the committee had finished its work and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), was signed at the event, stressing that any employer that flouted the MOU, would pay dearly for such infringement.

He said: “We are a going to sign the memorandum that gives acceptable definition of pay roll, any employers who refuses to comply and play by the rules as agreed will be on its own because we are convinced of the process.”

ILO tasks Labour, others on gender equality

•As world mark day for elimination of violenceagainst women

When a woman is harassed, humiliated or assaulted at work, the very notion of decent work for all is imperilled and we are all less free. When a woman comes to work, bruised in body and spirit, we must all take a stand. That is the verdict of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as the world marks this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

The ILO said that there could be no other appropriate time than now for the Organised Labour and the world at large to make a clear statement that gender equality is the means to eliminate violence in the world of work, and that gender equality is the goal.

“The traditional approach that seeks to protect “vulnerable” women, casts them in the role of victim. Let us focus instead on transforming gender stereotypes and unequal power relations between men and women that underpin such violence”, said ILO.

It added, “The situation is stark. As the ILO’s meeting  of worker, employer and government experts on Violence against Women and Men in the World of Work this October recently observed:

Violence and harassment may prevent women from entering the labour market, especially in male-dominated sectors and jobs, and remaining therein;

“When a woman is harassed, humiliated and assaulted at work, the very notion of decent work for all is imperilled.”

The ILO noted that workers, in particular women workers, are at risk when they are expected to provide sexual services or endure harassment in exchange for getting a job or promotion, in order to keep a job or in order to access their wages;

It added that women are disproportionately represented in low-wage jobs, especially in the lower tiers of the supply chains, and are too often subject to discrimination, sexual harassment and other forms of workplace violence and harassment; harping that violence and harassment cannot be considered “part of the job”, neither for women nor for men.

The global body however said it is carrying out research to deepen understanding of why women are disproportionately affected by violence and harassment at work and what it takes to prevent and protect them against it.

It stated further, “What’s more, the world’s governments, employers and workers are preparing for new international labour standards on violence and harassment against women and men in the world of work, with a first discussion scheduled at the International Labour Conference in June 2018.

“Ending violence against women is about guaranteeing the basic rights of women and liberating us all from the ties of prejudice, misogyny and inequality. The path is clear, and the ILO will continue its work until the entire world of work is free from violence,” says ILO.

TUC condemns sexual abuse at IDP camps

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has berated the alleged sexual abuse, rape and exploitation of female inmates in Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps in Maiduguri, Borno State, allegedly by camp leaders, vigilante groups, policemen and soldiers.

TUC President, Bobboi Bala Kaigama, lamented that in spite of the fact that the women and girls are not getting the much-needed support since they escaped from Boko Haram, it was now worse that security operatives who should protect them now take advantage of them and even infect them with HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs).

He described the development as the  “peak of wickedness for men to use positions of authority to exploit the weak. They deny the IDPs regular supplies of food, clothing, medicine, and other essentials, just to compound their vulnerability and make them want to do anything to live.

“One wonders why everything about our country is now all about rape: the politicians rape our treasury, the judges rape justice while the security operatives rape victims of war! This is disgraceful and it portrays our officers and the country in a very bad light before the international community.

“The country is facing series of interconnected economic and humanitarian crises which, if not addressed, may further worsen under-development and it associated challenges. We charge the federal government, the army and police authorities to investigate and bring to book perpetrators of these dastardly acts. Those diverting the food meant for the IDPs should also be punished for their irresponsibility,” he said.

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