What we expect of new minister — Nigeria Labour Congress

On Sunday, two prominent labor figures said that the next minister of labor must understand the plight of the workforce, particularly at this moment when the economy is experiencing difficulties that directly affect them.

Before Monday's swearing-in ceremony for the new ministers by President Bola Tinubu, the leaders gave separate interviews to the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.

The head of the Nigerian Labor Congress in Lagos, Mrs. Funmi Sessi, expressed confidence in Mr. Simon Lalong's ability to carry out his duties as Minister of Labor and Employment considering his background.

Sessi advised Lalong to leverage his prior experience as governor of Plateau State to address labor-related concerns.

"All things being equal, the future is bright with labor and Lalong as the minister, if he does not change, and with the good industrial relationship that he has maintained with the labor unions in his state."

"I hope he will extend it to all workers in Nigeria, including the Nigeria Labour Congress, and not just those in the public sector, but also those in the private sector, both formal and informal."

"This is necessary so that Nigerian workers can share in the wealth that they create; it will be a commonwealth, and that is our hope," she stated.

The union head stated that the sector will require a minister with compassion and expertise, as well as one who is compassionate.

"Someone who will give everything to ensure that he will create more ground for employment, productivity, and high yield of productivity," Sessi stated.

In addition, Mr Aladetan Abiodun, Secretary, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Lagos State Council, stated that the incoming Minister of Labour will inherit a tense industrial environment as a result of the elimination of gasoline subsidies.

According to him, the withdrawal has harmed all fixed-income individuals.

"I am convinced that if this problem is not addressed properly, it will snowball into a full-fledged industrial crisis."

"It is for this reason that we seek a minister who will be able to hit the ground running."

"We also want to resolve the issue of the new minimum wage as soon as possible; this is another area where we will work."

"Furthermore, we hope that the Ministry of Labour will wake up to some of its statutory responsibilities in the area of labor inspections under this new administration."

"This includes bringing labor employers who frequently breach their contract of agreement with employees to account, as well as ensuring that the laws of our land are respected, particularly by foreign companies who typically show utter disregard for our labor laws," Aladetan stated.