Job Security in Nigeria: The Policies and Laws VIS-À-VIS ILO Standard

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume II, Issue XII, December 2018 | ISSN 2454–6186

Job Security in Nigeria: The Policies and Laws VIS-À-VIS ILO Standard

ROBINSON MONDAY OLULU¹, UDEORAH, SYLVESTER ALOR F.²

^1,2Ph.D, Department of Economics, University of Port Harcourt, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Abstract:-The paper defines job security as the presumption or confidence index of the employees with respect to the protection of their employment within the work place. Job security therefore covers, right to work, right not to be unfairly dismissed, right to receive equal, fair and decent remuneration for work, right to participate in union activities, among others. The UDHR declaration, the ICESCR covenants on labour, the Labour Act, 2004, the Trade Union (Amendment) Act 2005 and relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution are applied in some parts of the paper. This research reveals that S. 45 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which made labour rights unjusticiable, is not in accord with ILO labour practices. Also the practice of labour causualization has become a norm in the Nigerian labour industry; and that workers are indiscriminately sacked, on the flimsy excuses of right sizing, economic recession, etc. Against ILO stands, the Trade Union (Amendment) Acts 2005 empowers the employer to make deductions from the wages of workers who are members of the trade union. In addition the employers are given the latitude to decide when to make the remittance of the fund deducted. The paper concluded that the labour legal framework of Nigeria is not near half of the protective safeguard of the rights of workers, provided by the International Labour Organization (ILO). There is need therefore to review the Nation’s labour laws to move away farther from the common law principles towards modern provisions and international labour best practices.

Keywords: Job Security, ILO, ICESCR, Trade Union, Labour Act

I. INTRODUCTION

Job security is perceived as the presumption or confidence index of the employees with respect to the protection of their employment within the work place. Certain economic factors dictate job security. They are individual employee skill and performance, and the overall performance of the employer company. In law, job security is seen as an assurance or guarantee covered or backed either by labour enactments, terms of employment contracts or collective bargaining agreements against involuntary loss of employment resulting mainly from the employers’ arbitrariness (Business Dictionary, 2017).

Read More