FMB, NHF have failed workers, says Union

The National Union of Hotels and Personal Services Workers (NUHPSW) has dissociated itself  from the 2.5 per cent deduction from the workers’ monthly salary to fund the National Housing Fund (NHF) scheme meant to be co-managed by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Federal Mortgage Bank (FMB) for building houses for workers,

NUHPSW’s National President, Comrade Leke Success, who also made the assertion said  both the manager of the Scheme and FMB have failed in their responsibilities, and cannot provide workers genuine houses to live throughout the duration of their working life.

He was speaking on Thursday during the opening ceremony of 5th Quadrennial National Delegates’ Conference of the union, with the theme: ‘Breaking through in organizing and growing union density; Challenges confronting modern day trade unions’, at Ladi Kwali hall, Sheraton Abuja hotel, Abuja

He said; “I want to use this opportunity to declare and dissociate our union from the 2,5 per cent deduction from the workers’ monthly salary to fund the NHF projects, which our union is skeptical that the scheme can ever provide the workers  genuine houses to live throughout the duration of their working life.

“While we resolve as hotel and personal services workers to have nothing to do with the scheme, we equally believe that the Federal Government should look for an alternative way to address the housing deficit in the country because the NHF scheme has only added to the woes of the Nigerian workers,” he added.

Success, who lamented that no worker in the private sector had benefited from the NHF as the deduction earlier made by the union members were never accounted for said: “Our collective decision is based on the fact that with the precarious situation of jobs in the private sector where employers sack at will and permanent jobs being flagrantly casualised without recourse to dialogue with the workers’ representatives, workers would be at the receiving end.

Source: dailyindependent