State Executive Committee of the Rivers State Council of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has called on the Federal Government to review the nation's labour laws to meet international standard.

The Council also called for an urgent need to address the unacceptable level of unemployment and poverty in the country.

Hyginus Chika Onuegbu, state chairman of TUC, Rivers State council, made this call during the courtesy call on the State Controller, Federal Ministry of labour and productivity, Rivers State On Friday February 5, 2010.

He said: "We want to use this opportunity to appeal to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity and the National Assembly to carryout a critical review of our labour laws, so as to inter alia, align our labour laws with the International Labour Standards as well as use the opportunity to domesticate all the International Labour Conventions already ratified by Nigeria in line with section 12 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

"We had thought that with the advent of constitutional democracy, the National Assembly (NASS) would have taking time to review the labour laws or laws that affect workers in line with Section 17(3) of the constitution", he added

According to Onuegbu, the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy 'which provides that the State shall direct its policy towards ensuring that (a) all citizens, without discrimination on any ground whatsoever, have the opportunity for securing adequate means of livelihood as well as adequate opportunity to secure suitable employment; (b) conditions of work are just and humane; (c) the health, safety and welfare of all persons in employment are safe -guarded and not endangered or abused; (d) there is equal pay for equal work without discrimination on account of sex, or on any other ground whatsoever

He however said, "It is obvious from the statistics of the causes of industrial crises in Nigeria that one area of our labour laws that is in dire need of review is the redundancy law. Another is the absence of employment protection laws for the so-called employment without statutory flavour."