Major road projects to suffer as strike action looms in construction industry

A development that is apparently strange in this clime is brewing as construction workers in Nigeria have threatened to embark on a strike action which, industry stakeholders say, will put major road projects on hold or at risk of needless delay.

The federal government of Nigeria has numerous road project scattered all over the country where these construction workers are engaged at one level of construction or another as engineers, supervisors, artisans, carpenters, and a lot more.

Some of the ongoing road projects that may be affected if the workers make good their threat are Obajana road, Abuja-Kano Road, Bodo-Bonny road, East-West road, Lagos-Ibadan expressway road, Kogi-Auchi road and Zaria-Sokoto road.

Any delay in the delivery of these road projects have ripple effects on not only commuters, trade and commerce, but also on the economy which will be put further on slow motion. The delay in the completion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, for instance, has been a nightmare to motorists.

The construction workers under the auspices of Construction and Civil Engineering Senior Staff Association (CCESSA) and National Union of Civil Engineering Construction Furniture and Wood Workers (NUCECFWW) say they are worried over the lingering disagreement between the Federal Ministry of Works and their employers – Federation of Construction Industry (FOCI).

This disagreement, the workers lamented at a press briefing in Abuja, has led to the sacking of about 3,000 of their members by their employers.

Read also:

11 Ways To Resolve Landlord Tenant Disputes

Is Real Estate Profitable In Nigeria?

Architecture Of Nigeria

The two unions, which are affiliates of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) noted that activities in the construction industry have suffered considerable slowdown as a result of the disagreement between the contractors handling various civil construction projects for the federal government and the federal ministry of works.

The disagreement, according to them, is as a result of alleged unilateral imposition of new standard conditions of contracts by the minister, David Umahi, contrary to the existing conditions as approved by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

CCESSA and NUCECFWW Presidents, Ayodeji Adeyemo and Stephen Okoro respectively, lamented that “in the last three months, we have lost almost 3,000 to mass sack which is still continuing. If care is not taken, if the conflict is not resolved, in the next two months, we are expecting additional 32,000 workers to be affected.”

“The mass sack will affect the major roads being handled by the major construction companies like RCC, Setraco, Salini, and others. This contrasts with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

Currently, we have lost over 50 percent of our members as a result of the disagreement; this situation is bound to further increase poverty and insecurity that the country is grappling with currently,” they said.

The unions want Umahi to understand that what is needed now is a form of bail-out for the distressed construction sector, not any form of conflict. They added that the unions are concerned about the impact of an unresolved conflict on investor-confidence in the stability of the country’s business environment.

The unions appealed to the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, come up with a clear policy on strict adherence to contract payment terms.

Source: BusinessDay

Similar Topics

To address ongoing challenges in the housing sector, Uzo Oshogwe, the Managing Director and Chief...

a day ago Read More

The House of Representatives has approved a significant budget increase for the Ministry of...

4 days ago Read More

The Osun State Government, in partnership with foreign collaborators, has initiated a reforestation...

10 days ago Read More

Dr. Seyi Olufemi, the CEO of Casafina Development Company, has counseled investors to purchase...

14 days ago Read More

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is tightening regulations on estate surveying...

18 days ago Read More

Nigeria has attracted $600 million in real estate investments over the past 13 years, according to...

23 days ago Read More

The real estate sector is still struggling despite its potential as economic challenges hinder...

26 days ago Read More

The Financial Caucus of African Ministers of Housing and Urban Development has elected Ahmed...

29 days ago Read More

Abuja was ranked as the least expensive African city for foreigners to reside in by the American...

29 days ago Read More

Dr. Iziaq Salako, the Minister of State for the Environment, announced that Nigeria lost...

a month ago Read More

Leading figures in the real estate industry have expressed concerns about unethical practices by...

a month ago Read More

Nigeria has experienced approximately 604 building collapses between 1974 and May 30, 2024,...

a month ago Read More

In the past twelve months, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, South East Nigeria, has shown a...

a month ago Read More

Land buyers at the Oko-Orisan waterfront residential scheme, developed by the Lagos State...

a month ago Read More

A development that is apparently strange in this clime is brewing as construction workers in...

a month ago Read More

The company’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Odunayo Ojo, highlighted UPDC’s unwavering...

a month ago Read More

The real estate sector has undergone significant regulatory changes impacting housing market...

a month ago Read More

The Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) has announced plans to establish a...

a month ago Read More

Nyesom Wike, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCTA), announced that the FCT...

a month ago Read More

Akintoye Adeoye, the newly elected President of the Real Estate Developers’ Association of...

a month ago Read More

Major road projects to suffer as strike action looms in construction industry

Similar Topics

Real Estate

Popular Searches

Property Services

Our Company

Social Media