The Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) had in December 2023 sacked 450 casual workers.
Protest is currently going on in Lagos State as unions including the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), the Lagos State council, the Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees, and the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Companies-owned are demanding immediate recall of over 450 workers sacked from the Lagos State Water Corporation.
A source who informed SaharaReporters about the ongoing protest said that “The police are there with their regular trademark of oppression and violence."
The Lagos Water Corporation (LWC) had in December 2023 sacked 450 casual workers.
The LWC also on April 15, sacked no fewer than 391 workers, saying the sack of the workers was part of its ongoing restructuring efforts to enhance operational efficiency and meet the evolving demands of the organisation.
The LWC in a circular stated that “The decision to streamline the workforce is in response to the persistent challenge of water scarcity in the state despite extensive infrastructure projects.
“LWC has faced substantial financial and operational challenges, struggling to generate adequate revenue to meet its obligations.
“The corporation’s unreliable water supply has resulted in a shrinking customer base and declining revenue.”
But the affected unions have rejected the sack of the workers, describing it as a violation of Section 20 of the Labour Act.
The unions noted that Section 20 of the Labour Act requires an employer to notify the trade union or workers’ representative of the reasons for and the extent of the redundancy before terminating the employment of its staff on account of redundancy.
The unions lamented that three of the affected workers had died due to shock and depression.
It had been reported that the Lagos State Secretary of NANNM, Oloruntoba Odumosu, said the association had petitioned the Head of Service in the state on May 3, to recall the sacked workers.
“A meeting was held today, not in response to the letter, but they acknowledged receipt of it. They said no going back. They even went ahead to pay the five-month redundancy payment.
“We have a protest tomorrow. We will start from Ikeja under the bridge to the Alausa Secretariat,” Odumosu was quoted as saying.