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Tag: Shop and Distributive Trade Senior Staff Association

  • Group pledges support for retail union after job loss

    Group pledges support for retail union after job loss

    More than 300 members of the Shop and Distributive Trade Senior Staff Association (SHOPDIS) have reportedly lost their jobs over the past five years due to factory closures and the downsizing of retail outlets, prompting intervention from global union bodies.

    Representative of Union Network International (UNI) Global Union in Africa, Sandi Mtshemla, expressed concern over the continued decline in the sector during a training workshop held in Lagos yesterday.

    UNI Global Union (Union Network International) is an international federation representing skills and service sector workers around the world.

    Mtshemla said UNI Global is particularly worried about the downturn in the sector and is committed to supporting efforts aimed at strengthening collective bargaining, increasing union membership, and promoting the inclusion of women and young workers in trade union activities.

    “The project aims to build collective bargaining power through organising more members and empowering women and young workers to participate in trade unions and bargaining negotiations. It also sets out to raise awareness on occupational health and safety in the workplace and promote the election of health and safety committees,” he said.

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    President of SHOPDIS, Ajibola Azeez, corroborated the concerns, revealing that the union has lost over 300 members due to factory shutdowns and mass layoffs by several companies.

    He attributed the job losses to economic difficulties, citing a harsh operating environment, foreign exchange scarcity, and high energy costs.

    “These economic challenges have forced some member companies to shut down operations, while others have significantly reduced their staff to survive. In some companies, about 133 of our members were retrenched, and in others, over 50. This has created a dire economic situation for our members.” Azeez said.

    Emphasising the need for effective organising, Azeez noted that the training would help reposition the union for growth and sustainability.

    “If we are losing members, how do we regain them? We can only do this by organising. We are grooming those behind us on how to organise. Unionism is about organising,” he said.

    The association’s Acting General Secretary, Olarenwaju Babatunde, also highlighted the importance of building union strength amidst emerging retail trends.

    He noted that with more supermarkets opening, it is essential to engage management and improve organisational effectiveness.

    “Most affiliates in our sector are not willing to allow us to unionise. So with this training, we want to re-strategise, return to the drawing board, and explore new ways to recruit more members, especially women and young workers. The training encompasses not just organising techniques but also skills in campaign planning, collective bargaining, and gender equality,” Babatunde stated.

  • SHOPDIS, UNI Global harp on importance of collective bargaining for workers

    SHOPDIS, UNI Global harp on importance of collective bargaining for workers

    Shop and Distributive Trade Senior Staff Association and UNI Global have reiterated the importance of collective bargaining as a driving force for improved productivity while stressing its role in bridging the gap between workers, employers and government.

    Speaking at a two-day workshop , supported by the UNI Global in Ikeja , with the theme: Strengthening Collective Bargaining Power Through The Inclusion of Women and Young Workers, the National President of Shops, Comrade Azeez Ajibola, said for peace to reign between the employers and the employees, there must be constant industrial harmony at the forefront of labour activities in the country.

    He said good industrial relation helps in effective utilisation of man, money, and material while improved employee morale, industrial peace, recognition of employee’s interest and reconciliation of employer’s and employee objectives and interest, increased production with minimum wastage of resources.

    “One important role of labour union is the effective promotion of collective bargaining agreement. In every industrial and economic setting, trade unions constitute an element of fundamental importance to collective bargaining, which is vital for industrial peace and harmony. Every labour union in Nigeria sees this as a major role they are expected to carry out,” he stated.

    Coordinator, Commerce, Finance, Gaming, Youth, UNI Global, Mrs  Lebogang Keabetswe  said collective bargaining should be seen as a catalyst for industrial harmony, adding that

    roles which trade unions play are influenced by their own characteristics as much as by their environment.

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    She said UNI Global chose to support the training in order for the union leaders, including women,  to be properly trained and educated to know the basic labour laws to plan their actions within the confines of the laws to avoid pursuing shadows while leaving the substance especially during collective bargaining and conflict resolution engagements.

    Also speaking , the General Secretary SHOPDIS represented by Comrade Olanrewaju Ganiyu said the training is expected to give  the unions the opportunity to rub minds with a view to finding solutions to myriads of problems in the various sectors of the union represented.

    He noted that harmonious working condition can be achieved through hard work by workers, adding that as unions they will continue to seek the understanding of the employers to see unions as partners in progress.

    He added that employers should see collective bargaining as a win win for the two parties.

    “There is a misconception that collective bargaining only benefits the employees. It benefits both parties because  when workers are  happy , it will boost their productivity, which is a gain for the employers,” he said.