.As Joe Ajaero emerges new president
The federal government has urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to ensure employers implement the Employee’s Compensation Act (ECA).
Labour Minister Chris Ngige stated this at the 13th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of the NLC in Abuja on Tuesday.
This comes as Joe Ajaero emerged as the new President of the NLC unopposed, the first time such was happening in the history of the Congress.
Regarding the Act, the Labour Minister said: “The major work I want the next NLC administration to do is the implementation of the Employee’s Compensation Act and the Pension Reform Act (PRA). The Pension Commission Act makes it mandatory that the employees in any organisation must get two insurance covers for their workers.
“That is; one, group life insurance for a person in case of when the person dies, second, the Employee’s Compensation Act that replaces the old Workers’ Compensation Act.”
Mr Ngige added, “This makes sure all workers are insured against accidents, infirmity, disease that occurs in the course of discharge of their duty.”
The Minister said state governments were not paying attention to ECA and that no government implemented the ECA of 2010, though it was a national law.
He stressed that some corporations in the public service tried to implement the act by engaging private insurance companies to do what they call accident insurance for workers. He said they did this because they did not want to pay for any fatalities, but they liked to gather the premium.
“Therefore, the next NLC leadership, if you love the workers and if you love your consistency, you must press for the Employee’s Compensation Act to be universal,” Mr Ngige explained. “You must have universal coverage for workers in the states. If you slip on this right, you have not done your workers well.”
This makes sure all workers are insured against accidents, infirmity, disease that occurs in the course of discharge of their duty.
NLC leadership
Meanwhile, Mr Ajaero was elected to lead the group on Wednesday at the ongoing Conference.
Before now, the new NLC leader was the General Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE).
He succeeds Mr Ayuba Wabba, whose tenure ends today, and has also been the Deputy National President of the NLC since 2011.
In his acceptance speech, Ajaero pledged his dedication to the issues of workers’ concerns and welfare.
“We shall once again be the guide of the Nigerian people, we shall cry their cry,” he said.
He commended Wabba for his resilience even in the face of difficulties.
