30th May, 2015
The National Union of Textile, Garment & Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN), says Labour is ready to partner with President Muhammadu Buhari to realise the vision of uninterrupted power supply.
The General Secretary, NUTGTWN, Isa Aremu, made the pledge in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Kaduna.
The statement quoted Aremu as saying, “we are with President Buhari and it is indeed a shame that with over $20billion investment in the power sector since 1999, Nigeria generates less than 4,000 MW.”
“Without electricity there can be no industrialisation. The promise and expectation that the President will revive textile industry is not possible without electricity.
“It is remarkable that the President frontally identified some national problems: It is only then that the problems we can be shamed and tamed.
“It is refreshing that President Buhari recognises the role of non-state institutions such as labour unions, organised private sector, the press and civil society organisations in the great task of national renewal.
“Labour will partner with new administration in wealth generation, service delivery and income distribution through social dialogue and collective bargaining with the existing labour market institutions.
“It is commendable that President Buhari has promised to reform and re-build the public service and check corruption in the states and local governments,” he said.
He, however, said the reform should ensure greater service delivery and productivity, saying it should not lead to job losses in an already depressed labour market characterised by high unemployment.
According to him, the challenges of development in Nigeria call for more jobs creation in both public and private sectors of the economy.
Isa assured the new President of the labour’s cooperation in the direction of wealth generation, job creation and job retention. “The President rightly described Boko Haram as a mindless group, whose philosophy is very far from the tenets of Islam, even as he pledged to revamp the military’s rule of engagement.
“We call on all Nigerians to key in to this informed renewed war against senseless violence that has claimed thousands of lives,” he was quoted in the statement.