The National Union of Civil Engineering, Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers, NUCECFWW, had earlier in 2014 issued a 14-day ultimatum to all the Chinese-owned construction companies in the country, threatening to shut their operations in Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country over unfair labour practices including casualization of workers.
NUCECFWW had accused the companies among others of enslaving Nigerians and fragrant disobedience to extant labour laws, international standard and conventions of the International Labour Organization, ILO. However, the union said in Lagos that after series of engagement, the management of CCECC and China Gio Construction Nigeria, CGC, acceded to the union’s demand to reverse all perceived unfair labour practices being meted on Nigerian workers.
In 1st June, 1,400 workers where converted to permanent staff with the agreement signed between NUCECFWW and the management of CCECC.
Speaking, the President of NUCECFWW, Amechi Asugwuni, said “Management of CCECC and our union agreed that 1,400 casual workers would be converted to permanent staff with appointment letters with immediate effect while more than 6,000 workers have had their employment regularized between July 2014 and December 2016. Also the union and China Gio Construction Nigeria, CGC another Chinese Company management agreed to convert more than 3,000 from casual workers to permanent staff with immediate effect and appointment letters during the same period.
On the right of workers to unionize, Asugwuni said both management of CCECC and CGC agreed with the union that “they shall continue to recognize the rights of workers to be unionized in all their operational sites in the country”. He added that management of the affected companies had also agreed to ensure full compliance with implementation of National Joint Industrial Council (NJIC) agreement, adding that the two companies agreed to continuously provide decent vehicle to convey workers to work in all their operational sites.