The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has called for an immediate end to the casualisation of labour in Nigeria, saying workers must be guaranteed job security, fair pay and dignity rather than exploitative contracts.
The demand was made by the union’s president, Comrade Dr. Makolo Hassan, at the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held in Abuja on Monday, where he said the protection of workers’ rights and welfare should be at the heart of employment policy.
According to Hassan, having a job is no longer enough if workers are denied fair treatment, living wages and job security. He insisted that decent work must be treated as a right.
“Decent work is a fundamental workers’ right, not a privilege to be granted at the discretion of employers,” he declared.
He said the principle of decent work is defeated when employees are owed salaries, promotions, wage awards, pensions and gratuities, arguing that denying workers their entitlements contradicts social justice and fair labour standards.
Hassan condemned employment arrangements that keep casual and contract workers in perpetual insecurity while denying them benefits enjoyed by permanent staff, describing the practice as deliberate exploitation.
“We unequivocally reject the increasing casualisation of labour and the exploitation of contract employment arrangements designed to deprive workers of job security, fair remuneration, dignity and their rightful benefits,” he said.
The union is demanding the regularisation of eligible casual and contract workers, equal pay for work of equal value, and the prompt payment of all outstanding entitlements owed to workers.
Hassan also urged employers to respect collective bargaining and workers’ freedom to organise, warning that unilateral actions and intimidation of union members threaten industrial harmony.
“Employers must negotiate with workers and their unions in good faith; they must not impose conditions unilaterally, intimidate workers, victimise union members or engage in activities that are aimed at trying to stop or weaken workers’ efforts to organise collectively,” he said.
He further called on the Federal Government to urgently review the ₦70,000 national minimum wage, saying it no longer reflects the cost of food, transport, housing, electricity and healthcare. He demanded a shift from a minimum wage to a living wage that can sustain workers and their families.
Beyond wages, Hassan advocated for a national employment strategy anchored on apprenticeship, vocational and technical education, and formal job creation for young Nigerians.
He also called for stronger social protection for informal workers, traders, artisans and domestic workers, who he said contribute to national productivity without adequate pension or insurance cover.
