NLC pickets Wizchino Engineering in Abuja over alleged anti-union practices

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday began picketing Wizchino Engineering Company Limited in Abuja, accusing the construction firm of blocking workers from joining a union, paying poorly and failing to provide safety equipment or a clinic.

The action was led by the NLC alongside its affiliate, the National Union of Civil Engineering Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW). Protesters carried placards demanding decent wages and the right to unionise, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.

Labour leaders said the picket will continue indefinitely and could grow into a wider industrial action by NLC affiliate unions if the company refuses to negotiate.

What the unions allege

NUCECFWW President Stephen Okoro, who is also an NLC vice-president, said the union wrote several letters and visited the company repeatedly, but management ignored its correspondence. He alleged that mobile police were sometimes used to chase union representatives away.

Okoro alleged that workers were not given basic protective gear such as safety boots, helmets and hand gloves, and that the company has no registered clinic for emergencies.

He said two workers recently died at separate locations linked to the company. "Of recent, we lost about two workers here. Yes, one worker here and one on the other side. Because there's no healthcare. They don't have a clinic," he said.

The union also accused the firm of a hire-and-fire system, with no formal conditions of service. Okoro said that without clear employment terms, it is hard to fix responsibility or secure compensation when a worker is injured or killed.

NLC Acting General Secretary Benson Upah said no company has the right to ignore Nigerian labour law or the constitutional guarantee of freedom of association. He warned that employers who break the law should expect consequences "not only on the street, but in the courtroom".

NLC Deputy General Secretary Bello Ismail and NUCECFWW General Secretary Ibrahim Walama said workers from other affiliates joined the protest in solidarity.

What happens next

The unions are demanding that the company recognise workers' right to organise, sign a collective bargaining agreement and provide decent pay, safety gear and healthcare.

Okoro said the picket will run in shifts until the company sits down with the union. "We are not here for violence. We are here to free our brothers who are working here," he said.

Company representatives at the scene declined to comment, and attempts to reach management were unsuccessful. The allegations have not been tested in court.