Workers have said that the addition of casualisation of workers to staff outsourcing is equal to slave labour. ADEMOLA ALAWIYE examines the problems with both practices.

Casualisation in the Nigerian labour market has become a subject of great concern as more workers continue to groan under this immoral strategy of cutting cost by employees. Statistics from the Nigeria Labour Congress show that many workers in the telecommunications, oil and gas sectors are casual labourers. Other sectors with thousands of casual labourers include mining, steel, banking and insurance. In all these sectors, staff outsourcing and casualisation have become the order of the day as workers in these sectors no longer have regularised employment terms.

A report by the Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights in Nigeria, an NGO dealing with labour issues, had said that 45 per cent of Nigeria’s labour force was made up of casual workers. It is evident that the value keeps rising. The report expressed the fear that the situation would only worsen as employers seek out ways to reduce cost of doing business.

Also, a report by the US Solidarity Centre detailed the Nigerian oil industry’s shift from permanent and direct employment towards outsourced and temporary labour. The report argues that the casualisation of labour is industry-wide and is a clear attempt to reduce the cost of doing business while simultaneously breaking workers’ strength.

Analysts say the continued engagement of casual labourers is at variance with provisions of section 17 (a) of the Constitution, which guarantees “equal pay for equal work”.

The section frowns on discrimination on account of sex, or any other ground whatsoever and so the discrimination in pay between permanent and casual employees should not exist.

Legally, labour unions say contract staffing and casualisation contravene Section 7 (1) of the Labour Act, Cap 198, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990. The Act provides that, “Not later than three months after the beginning of a worker’s period of employment with an employer, the employer shall give to the worker a written statement specifying the terms and conditions of employment, which include the nature of the employment and if the contract is for a fixed term, the date when the contract expires.”

Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary defines casualisation as the practice of employing temporary staff for short periods instead of permanent staff, in order to save costs. Part of the pains casual workers go through is that they never benefit from special packages like others. They don’t have the full entitlements on the job allowances, transportation, leave allowances, medicals, amongst other things.

Chinonso Eze has been a contract staff for one of the recently merged banks for over seven years. According to him, the experience is as bad as not having a job.

He said, “I’ve been on one spot in this bank for more than seven years without promotion. Some of the small boys and girls that I personally train on the job have become senior banking officers just because they were employed as permanent staff.”

When asked why he was employed as a contract staff, he said, “When I was looking for job, I applied to the bank through an outsourcing firm with my upper credit, and they told me then that I could only be employed as a contract staff because I attended a polytechnic. I didn’t want to take the job but the unemployment situation made me to take the job with the hope that I will move after gathering experience. Unfortunately, I’ve not been able to leave after seven years. I’ve applied to other banks but the situation is the same everywhere.”

The problem is not just with the skilled cadre of the society. A visit to some manufacturing companies reveals a large number of factory workers gathering as early as 6am at the entrances of these companies, mostly owned by Indians, Lebanese, and Chinese to be absorbed, either for daily or weekly appointment but never for permanent employment as the employers are only looking for cheap labour.

Workers in these organisations have suffered from one degree of injury or the other in the course of discharging their duties and responsibilities without any compensation for the victims. This often ranges from minor to permanent disability, which has forced some of these workers out of jobs precipitately.

Analysts said that the situation of the country had made the unemployed to see casualisation as a big relief.

Labour activist, Mrs. Adeola Shenkoya, said, “We have been fighting casualisation in the recent times with everything we have but it seems to be increasing because the workers themselves have seen it as something that has come to stay. You can’t tell someone who has no job for over five years not to take up temporary employment from an organisation. It’s a structural problem, and there can’t be progress in the fight against this form of slavery without the government.”

A legal practitioner, who specialises in labour law, Mr. Olu Ogunbiyi, said casualisation is one weapon the employers had used in the last few years to weaken workplace organisation and to drive wages down.

He, however, said, “What employers have failed to realise is that an over-reliance on casual employment can pose a serious risk to productivity.”

According to the President, Association of Senior Staff of Banks, Insurance and Financial Institutions, Mr. Olusoji Salako, casualisation is one of the numerous challenges that the Nigerian economy and not just the banking sector alone is facing and grappling with.

He stated, “We have taken and will keep taking steps to tackle the problem. Both ASSIBIFI and its parent body, the Trade Union Congress has repeatedly urged the Federal Government to invoke the relevant laws of the country against companies that enslave Nigerians through the practice of casualisation and contract staffing. Central labour organisation is also seeking appropriate sanctions against companies including those outside of the financial services sector like the oil and gas companies that violate the expatriate quota rules and promote casualisation.

“However, it should be noted that the practice of casualisation is gradually abating in the banking sector, but oil and gas companies have remained adamant despite all previous conferences and dialogues between the organised labour and the management of the companies. In times past, what we had in our country is that you work for a period of two years in the oil and gas industry and then you become a staff, once you are found to be able to discharge your duties very well, you start enjoying the benefits of being a staff.”

Salako pointed out that what was in vogue now was contract staffing and casualisation .

The ASSBIFI boss said, “Once you are a casual or contract staff, it means you can wake up in the morning and by four o’ clock, you are out of job. In this country now, there are people who have been casuals and contract workers for up to 15 years and they don’t have any benefits attached to their contract of employment. All these, we must put an end to through policy formulation and adequate engagement with those involved, alongside invoking relevant laws when necessary.”


CULLED FROM: http://www.punchng.com/business/appointments-management/dissecting-the-negative-effects-of-casualisation-outsourcing/

End time workers

Space-BOOKEED!!!!!!! FTC @OP & Topic.... I don't understand this lecture or why it's on Fp.....

Who read dat?
No.. Seriously, who did

It is man's inhumanity to man coupled with greed and selfishness.

Its a pathetic experience.

you just want to show everybdy on nairaland your final year project topic.

Ah wish ah could read it ,seriously ah tried, can someone summarize 4 me

I can't believe people are still complaining over casualization in Nigeria.

I guess the problem is with our largely unskilled, and inadequately-educated workforce. Nigerian workers should think more about being personally productive, and less about a company that'll provide them with lifetime employment.

I'm going to read dis.Lyk seriously??

gcfr.com:
you just want to show everybdy on nairaland your final year project topic.

Rodeo is a Man and nt a boy.. He aint a student.. So call him Elder ....

Too bad this has come to stay, an insensitive govt like ours would do nothing about it as they have failed to provide an enabling environment for these so-called slave masters

How can people be complaining about casualization in a country where true unemployment is in the neighborhood of 90%.

Half bread is better than no bread. A good policy of govt will fail if implemented at a wrong time. Companies, local and foreign should be encouraged through lax labor laws until the country reaches a reasonable level of commerce and industry before the govt intervenes with operational labor laws.

Otherwise these industries will simply move across the border and be exporter goods into Nigeria. Then, there will be no jobs let alone casualization.

Cn't even read it, somebody shid pls summarize it in one word

Casualisation and outsourcing is as bad as unemployment should fact be faced. Job satisfaction is zero, the feeling of liquidation of Job tenor is prevalent, promotion is absent, severance payment is near nil. On a whole, casualisation has futher the case of labour exploitation and have devalued the Nigerian employee thereby projecting him as a glorified slave in the labour market.

flawless911: Who read dat?
No.. Seriously, who did

i never did. i only read ur post

Yay! this wl surely help me in my exams. Bookmarked#

[quote author=AjanleKoko]I can't believe people are still complaining over casualization in Nigeria.

I guess the problem is with our largely unskilled, and inadequately-educated workforce. Nigerian workers should think more about being personally productive, and less about a company that'll provide them with lifetime employment.
Dats true, but needless to remind u, somebody must work for another person... Nigerians are not lazy... If Nigerians are exploited labour wise in the name of employment, then we should condemn it. Casualisation is evil... The essence of casualisation is for a short or medium term project nt for a company dat enjoys entity concept. Think straight my guy.

Nice write up! Thumbs up Rodeo. Poor reading culture, SMH for those complaining about the length of the article.

The thread is an interesting one. One thing is that times are changing and the business environment are not sameness as in the past.
In my opinion the casual is not the problem but what the take home is for the casual worker. If his/her package is such that they can conveniently rent or better still own a house it will be so so good. The employers need to factor in the pension plan payment into what ever is paid to the casual worker and they will be better even if they are not permanent.

Commitment to work is dependent on what enters the pocket. My people say" inu didun ni mori ya"

Thanks

AjanleKoko: I can't believe people are still complaining over casualization in Nigeria.

I guess the problem is with our largely unskilled, and inadequately-educated workforce. Nigerian workers should think more about being personally productive, and less about a company that'll provide them with lifetime employment.

You have no idea what you are talking about. Most of the people casualized, especially in the oil and gas are experts and experienced worker in their field of study. Unfortunately, most of them don't know what await them before jumping into the stagnant water they find themselves. The slavery mentality and megalomaniac, narssisistic complex that runs in the blood of most africans is what make them enslave their own people when given the slightest chance. It is terrible and wicked.

RIP

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flawless911: Who read dat?
No.. Seriously, who did

I did.

All that been said,People,you have to see the way Asians and Lebanese treat Nigerian workers,you will weep.

And they can't resign,why? Half bread is better than non.

Anyway,what is the work of the Nigerian labour congress/union? Aren't they suppose to be addressing issues like this??
All they know is strike strike strike so the government can bribe them to shut them up.

No one cares for anyone,and were are the so-called NGO's??

all the people asking who read the OP are obviously the short attention span, reality tv-watching crowd.

good write up. Do you think we still have govt. After Murtala Muhammed.
Check my signature. :-)

Bros na your Project be this? All this grammer.


On a more serious note though, Businesses are not charities, they are created to maximize profits on limited capital through whatever Legal means possible.

After casualization, computers would probably cut the rest of the workforce. Only Government agencies that are not under pressure to produce profits can employ a large number of permanent staff.

I neither read nor understand english. Who will help me

flawless911: Who read dat?
No.. Seriously, who did

I did.
Because I'm a victim. It can be very painful.

Chinonso Eze choose to sell himself short and is paying dearly for it now. It is not his HND cert that is the problem. doesnt he know there are many HND cert holders on the board of many Nigerian banks?

i am sorry for this country. we just talk and talk no action. this thing has been on for yrs and the relevant bodies are just silent over it. in our sister countries in africa, employers cannot practice this kind of barbaric unethical system. imagine indias, lebanese and asians riding us in our country. fo.............ls.

ASUU went on strike to right some of the wrongs in the education system and some people are crying wolf, we need to pay the supreme sacrifice in this country b4 things go right. our govt. owned companies are sold to the rich under the guise of privatization. but wait a minute have we taken a review of the state companies sold to private investors and what came out of it. all they did was to asset strip these companies and disappear for eg ajaokuta steel, nicon, nitel, nigerian airways, volkswagen nigeria but to mention a few.


the time has come to put a stop to these. LET US OCCUPY EAGLES SQUARE

if you a casual worker you won't will take your time in reading the post no matter how long it may be. Its scarce to see a family without an unemployed graduate or a casual worker, its as bad as that. People keep praying for your promotion but deep down your mind you that can never happen. Casual worker don't get promotion, your experince can't be reckoned with when pursuing another job.

Nobody cares except when you are to compulsorily contribute to the purse of the stupid association that does not care about anything concerning you as contract staff.
This is common among polytechnic graduates and now cutting across to Bsc holder too.
FG, NLC, TUC, NUBIFFI, ASSIBIFI and all other bodies need to rise up to there responsibilities to save all contract staff or casual workers.
Mind you the casual worker holds the key operational and administrative positions in all this capitalist companies.
New business to venture into now is to become a recruiting firm to outsource for those companies. On a final note, we know the law and the truth, but the problem is the fear of the oga @ the top.


I see revolution. My right is my right.