Govt. policy blamed as construction unions allege loss of 52,000 sector jobs

Business a.m. Reporter

The Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association (CCESSA) and the National Union of Civil Engineering Construction Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW), both affiliated with the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), have estimated that 52,000 construction and furniture workers have lost their jobs in the past year.

The unions, representing both senior and junior staff in the construction and furniture industry, attributed the massive loss of jobs in the sector to the near-total slowdown in the industry. The unions point to the root cause of this stagnation as a dispute between federal government contractors and the Federal Ministry of Works, arising from a unilateral imposition of new standard conditions of contracts by the minister.

Ayodeji Adeyemo, the national president of CCESSA, and Stephen Okoro, the national president of NUCECFWW, at a joint press conference in Abuja, highlighted the negative impact of the recent unilateral imposition of new standard conditions of contracts by David Umahi, the minister of works. They stated that the new conditions were imposed without due consideration of the existing conditions previously approved by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

A joint text of the media conference, read to newsmen, stated: “The construction industry as you are aware is the second largest employer of labour in Nigeria after the government, but with the recent development in the industry, we deem it necessary to let the world know of our plight in order to avoid a total collapse of an already distressed sector.

“This joint press release is to alert and inform the appropriate quarters and the public at large of the developments in the construction industry and the subsequent effects.

“Today, there is a total slowdown in the industry due to disagreement between the contractors handling various civil construction projects for the Federal Government and the Ministry of Works as a result of unilateral imposition of new standard conditions of contracts by the Minister, contrary to the existing conditions as approved by the Bureau of public procurement (BPP).

“This has affected employment in the industry, leading to mass sack of Nigerian workers who are members of our unions.

“This is in contrast to the Renew Hope Agenda of the present regime of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

Urging the minister of works to take immediate action to resolve the ongoing dispute, the unions emphasised the pressing need for a bailout to support the construction sector and mitigate the growing economic distress.

They also stressed the critical importance of finding a swift resolution to the conflict, highlighting the potential long-term consequences for investor confidence in the Nigerian business environment.

Drawing attention to the urgent need for action, the unions called on the government to implement a range of measures to resolve the ongoing conflict in the construction industry and support the sector’s recovery.

Their recommendations included:

• Prompt resolution of the dispute through inclusive and consultative dialogue with all key stakeholders, including the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP), Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Works, Council for Regulation of Engineers in Nigeria (COREN), and the Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI).

Alongside these urgent measures to address the ongoing conflict, the unions also demanded immediate action by the government to secure the lives and safety of Nigerians, particularly their members, who have been affected by rampant banditry, kidnappings, and killings across the country.

Furthermore, the unions highlighted the detrimental impact of inflation on the purchasing power of workers’ salaries, emphasising the urgent need for government policies that address the rising cost of living and safeguard the economic security of Nigerian workers.

In light of the rapidly escalating conflict, the unions issued an ultimatum to the minister of works, the Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI), and all other relevant parties to resolve the issue within 21 days.

The unions made it clear that failure to address their concerns within this timeframe would prompt industrial action across the construction industry in Nigeria.