The National Union of Civil Engineering Construction, Furniture and Wood Workers, NUCECFWW, has called on the Federal Government and construction firms to embrace green cement to cushion the effects of climate change.
The NUCECFWW President, Stephen Okoro, made the call on the sidelines of the 7th National Quadrennial Delegates Conference tagged “Abuja 2025” on Tuesday in Abuja.
The theme of the conference is, “Building Trade Unions’ Future through Strategic Organising and Investments.”
The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that green cement is a range of eco-friendly, sustainable alternatives to conventional Portland cement, featuring significantly lower carbon emissions.
According to Okoro, just transition is now a global phenomenon, representing the transfer of nature from carbon-based economic activities to a low- or zero-carbon economy.
He, however, said this is done in a manner that limits the negative impact on workers, their families and communities.
“Likewise in the Civil Engineering, Construction and Furniture Industries, employers in the industry are advised to key into just transition programmes.
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“It is time for us to look into use of green cement for construction,” he said.
Okoro explained that not too long ago, the Minister of Works, David Umahi, reaffirmed Government’s policy on construction of concrete roads instead of asphalt.
He said that this resulted in the revocation of contracts hitherto awarded to some construction firms.
“Following these new trends, many workers in the industry lost their jobs and some employers went bankrupt causing untold hardship in the society.
“Now the position of the union is that we are in support of concrete road construction especially in areas with difficult topography, but this should take a just transition or gradual process for the following reasons.
“Most employers in the industry are yet to procure concrete road construction equipment and majority of our skilled members are yet to be properly trained on the use of this equipment for concrete roads.”
The president, therefore, called on the government to assist employers in the industry in the training of more artisans in that regard so that gainful employment would be guaranteed with efficiency and high output to accelerate speed of work.
He said that the year 1972 was the first time the issue of global climate change warning came to lime light in Stock horn and Nigeria signed a document on climate change warning in 1972.
“The question now is what transparent steps has our country Nigeria taken in this direction since 1972 and what strategies have been put in place to mitigate climate change effects on the people?
Speaking on building collapse and regulation, Okoro said that the union was worried because the incidence of building collapse in the country has reached an alarming rate.
“Stakeholders like us in the Civil Engineering and Construction industry can no longer keep silence as the incidences keep reoccurring with many lives and property wasted.
“It is imperative that we must advocate that our governments at local, state and federal level should reawaken the regulatory agencies in the building and environment sector to ensure strict compliance with building regulation.”
Okoro said that NUCECFWW strongly demand a holistic approach by regional and urban planning authorities to shun compromise in the discharge of their duties to save lives and properties.
NAN
