Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged the newly elected President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Bobboi Kaigama, to focus seriously on the urgent challenges of improving productivity of members of the organised labour for a faster economic growth.
In a statement in Abuja weekend congratulating the new TUC leader, the former Vice President said productivity is one of the factors that boost a country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
According to him, productivity is the best argument that workers can put forward to seek better wages.
He added that both the employers and workers have a duty to give the economy a shot in the arm through selfless service to the nation.
While lamenting the plight of the workers in the face of inflation and other factors that affect daily life, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar advised the new TUC President and other labour leaders to create strategies for helping workers to face the future without fear through training programmes to make them self-supporting when they lose private sector or government jobs.
He said the language of downsizing and rightsizing usually scare workers of the future, adding that with vocational trainings, they might become less dependent on government to earn a living.
With government and private sector jobs becoming more limited, Atiku told labour leaders to wake up to this reality and prepare their members on how to acquire new skills for future life.
However, the former Vice President also urged political leaders to avoid lavish lifestyles that contradicts and is in negation of the message of productivity.
