43years ago, democracy bequeathed us Labour Day
… Abubakar Rimi and Balarabe Musa were the first govs to declare May Day in Nigeria
Veteran labour Leader and Director General of Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, Issa Aremu has said after the wage increase announced by the Federal Government, the 15-point tripartite agreement reached by critical stakeholders should mount the centre stage now.
TheNewsGuru.com, TNG reports the veteran labour Leader made this disclosure while appearing in a national tv program where he spoke extensively on how labour Day started in Nigeria and other national issues.
On the increased consolidated salary structure for civil servants, Aremu said: “This is the first one under this administration, ably led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Of course, it’s also the one we are organizing on the eve of the 25th anniversary of uninterrupted democratic dispensation.
“For us in the labour movement, and for my comrades who are very active in the labour movement, we don’t take democracy for granted.
” We’re also marking the 43rd anniversary of the May Day, because it started in 1981 as a national minimum wage, even though in 1980, there was a Nigeria, in which we had democratic politics based on ideology. So it was actually the PRP government of the late Abubakar Rimi, as well as Balarabe Musa, that first declared May Day, in Kano and Kaduna, respectively.
“At that time, the pioneer President of NLC, Alh. lsa Summonu was the President of NLC, he is still very well alive. So because NPN government, under the late President Shehu Shagari didn’t want to be outperformed, President Shagari declared May Day as a national public holiday to celebrate the dignity of labour.
“So if you go on this memory lane, you know that for almost four decades now, we have been marking May Day.
“The two occasions that we couldn’t mark May Day was in 1988, as well as 1995, when the military government of IBB and Abacha dissolved Nigerian Labour Congress and of course under COVID. So otherwise, May Day, we can say, is a fall out of democratic process. And for organized labour, and all the stakeholders in the labour movement, we need to tackle it regardless of shortcomings of democracy.
“It’s still the best form of government that allows for freedom of association, freedom of assembly. You know what we went through, and I think it’s important that we put this in context, that today we’re also celebrating democratic process that guarantees human rights, trade union rights, and also democracy in the workplace.
“But back to the issue of renewed hope agenda, I think this president, as a candidate, made a pledge to say that he was committed to review up minimum wage, not only that, he promised living wage for the working people.
“And to a larger extent, we can say that the administration has been walking the talk. Don’t also forget that after the removal of subsidy, and it was clear that prices went up, you know, inflation went up, I think about 33% now.
“Then the administration engaged with organized labour, and on the 2nd of October, both labour and the federal government had this comprehensive 15-point tripartite agreement, and the top one was presidential wage award. Initially, 25,000, but with the agreement of labour, it was raised to 35,000. And this government has kept to that agreement.
“45% of workers in the federal employment have been paid. Not only that, the president urged state governments to try and emulate, and also complement, you know, his efforts to improve the pay of the working people.
“President Bola Ahmed is also very clear that paying the workers very well is smart economics, because the only way you can improve on purchasing power, you know, of the people, is to pay them wages as at when due and the workers’ salaries are made to buy goods, which, you know, are also produced by the real sector of the economy.
” Secondly, there was the promise of the new minimum wage, you know, and early this year, I think January 30th or so, if I can remember, the National Minimum Wage Committee was inaugurated, the most enlarged, inclusive minimum wage committee made up of employers of labour in private sector, NECA, we have organized labour representatives by NLC, TUC, of course you also have the state governments, six of them and negotiation is ongoing.
“And you also know the level of inflation in the country, the cost of living, so I know that in my mind, that is the proposal, but the proposal is not a substitute for what is, what will become an agreement, it has to be negotiated, and a negotiation is going on.
“And we are very rich in this tradition, this is the sixth national minimum wage that we are negotiating. And let me quickly wrap up on this point, that national minimum wage is the least below which a worker will be paid, it’s the lowest paid, and it’s the one that is legally backed up by law. It’s not the same thing as living wage. You know, it’s the minimum below which government at the federal level, state government, private sector will not pay.
” I think the passion is more for living wage which can come to different sectoral discussions, sectoral negotiations, and I think we also heard this morning that the National Wage and Salary Commission has approved 25 to 35% for police, for uniformed agencies workers.
“But minimum wage is legally permissible, and the current rate is 30,000 which moved from 18,000 before now. Now we have to look at what is possible within the reality of the economy, so we talk about affordability, sustainability. Minimum wage, we also want to maintain minimum employment, so it’s not, it doesn’t make sense that you are paying minimum wage and then the few jobs disappear because the private sector, they don’t print money. They can only pay from what they have produced from what they have sold.
“So, but again, these are products of negotiation. So to a larger extent, labour-management relation has been so much challenged, you know, with the economic reforms that have been put in place, but the framework for handling industrialization is in place.
“And I think, although you mentioned nine national strikes, I think, I can say four strikes and they are normal you know, in a democracy, there should be policy contestation. And organized laboir is doing very well, but after the contestation, there will be accommodation.
“And that’s why, after contending with government, labour reached the agreement on October 2nd, 15-point agreement. Now the challenge is how do we implement those agreements in full?
“Don’t forget about the promise of some CNG buses. And I think for me, that’s even more qualitatively important, because what workers spend their money on is transportation. So if you have public transport, that can minimize the cost.