By Demilade Adeniyi
Governments at all levels must begin to integrate scrap and waste workers into the national waste management value chain, the National President of the National Union of Scrap and Waste Workers of Nigeria (NUSWON) Comrade Friday Oku has said.
Oku in a statement issued to mark this year’s Labour Day described waste pickers as the strength of recycling, said the recycling sub-sector would not be optimized until waste and scrap workers are recognised as a major catalyst in the waste value chain.
He said waste pickers and picking is an employment spinner generating and creating jobs and a sure means of Internal Revenue Generation (IGR) for all levels of government.
“We demand to be recognised as workers whose work feeds the recycling industry. It is our right.
“In line with this year’s theme: Right and social enconomuc justice, our members deserve to enjoy like other workers social protection, health insurance scheme and scholarship programmes to enable them up their skills and competence.”
Oku commended the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Joe Ajaero for the dynamism and activism he has brought to bear in labour activities since he assumed office.
He said NUSWON is happy that the nation’s labour movement is getting the right attention from the federal government and urged the labour leader not to disappoint Nigerians who looked forward to his leadership to bring back the back in labour activism.