The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has called on all the state governments not to abandon their responsibilities of ensuring that all the people in their domains are mobilized to go for testing and also get vaccinated against Covid-19.
The Ondo State Coordinator of the NLC Covid-19 Response Mechanism Project,Kehinde Shade made the call on Wednesday in Akure at a press briefing on Covid-19 testing and vaccination sensitization campaign, organized by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in collaboration with NCDC.
According to him, it has became very necessary for the working people in Nigeria to be mobilized for testing and vaccination against the disease so that the workplace will be free of Covid-19, for optimal productivity to be attained.
Shado said; “The programme is also being used to mobilize and organize the workforce in preparedness for recruitment of the broader working people to embrace and keep pace with what the trade unions are doing to safeguard the Interests of the working people and the downtrodden masses.
“The programme also aims to bring working people together, to organize workers to address whatever their priorities are in their work environment and in the society. The programme focuses on listening to build workplace community to build trust and respect among the workers and the masses to take responsibility of ownership of their fate to fight for what is right in the workplace and in the society.
“The project also focuses on getting the workers to work among themselves to concentrate on steps to take to get something done or get them to act to get good results in their favour on issues of concern to them.
“The project, “Social Mobilization for the Uptake of COVID-19 Testing and Vaccination in the Workplace” will certainly prepare the NLC and the working people of Nigeria to be in a good stead to address future emergencies like we had in Covid-19.
“We are using this opportunity to call on the employers of labour to take measures to minimize the risk of transmission of Covid-19 among workers, visitors, contractors and all those who are involved in business with the workplace by ensuring that there is proper hygiene in the workplace.
“The state governments have the intrinsic power to regulate the public health, safety, and welfare of their people.
“The focus of the project was for the NLC to engage in massive mobilization and sensitization of the workers and their employers to embrace testing for and vaccination against Covid-19. This is because the workplace provides access. to workers in their large numbers and can be used to provide them with information on the pandemic.”
