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By Olawunmi Ojo
As workers commemorate May Day today, OLAWUNMI OJO examines the recurring challenges facing the average Nigerian worker in both the public and private sectors and asks if there is hope for improved working conditions anytime soon.
Today, workers across the country are observing a work-free day to commemorate Workers’ Day. In what has become an annual ritual, select groups, often led by labour leaders, would throng public places to evaluate members’ working conditions over the last year and make recommendations for improvement as deemed necessary. Such recommendations are passed on as demands on employers – federal and state governments, and private employers.
Such demands seek to address issues of employee welfare and conditions of service, workers’ right, injustice and exploitation occasioned by unfair workplace policies, stunted minimum wage, and unpaid salaries and pension, among others.
Often than not, the scope of the demands transcend just the interest of workers; it also seeks to address other sensitive issues of interest to the general public, from the socioeconomic to security, to power and the like, all with a view to ensuring social equality, good governance and a just society.
Most times, however, after the rallies and gatherings, the speeches and promises, the demands remain what they are – demands, until another commemoration rolls in.
Issues of unpaid wages, and backlog of salaries and pensions owed to workers and pensioners across the country linger. The Federal Government is said to owe workers billions of Naira in promotion arrears, an indebtedness said to predate the administration.
The current N18, 000 minimum wage structure approved in 2011 has been agreed by all stakeholders as being overdue for upward review. Labour has proposed N56, 000 as a new minimum.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, speaking on the occasion of the Labour Day last year, said the House was committed to passing the new minimum wage bill.
In a statement by his Special Adviser, Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, he reiterated the resolve and commitment of the parliament to passing the new National Minimum Wage Bill when presented by the Executive and initiating other laws and legislative interventions that will promote the welfare and well being of Nigerian Workers.
He noted that increasing workers’ salary and wages had become necessary “in view of the current inflation, naira devaluation and rising cost of living.”
Dogara echoed the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, who in a separate statement also said the Senate was ready to “partner with Nigerian workers to enact legislation that will guarantee that they get their dues at the appropriate time.”
The FG, late last year, set up a 30-man tripartite committee to work with all stakeholders on the new proposal. But all efforts to get the review actualised have yet to yield fruits.
Though there seems to be no consensus as to the number of jobs that have been lost by Nigerians under the current administration, figures being bandied put it at about four million. Aside from the massive job loss, mass suffering, deprivation and angst pervade the nation, just as work conditions in many workplaces remain undesirable for the lucky ones still in employment.
In addition, poverty is deepening within the population, insecurity is taking alarming dimension in parts of the country, just as basic infrastructure keep depleting, making life almost always difficult for the average Nigerian.
Labour leaders, who spoke to thenewsguru.com ahead of today’s May Day, agreed that the struggle for the actualisation of workers’ demand and a just society the world over is always continuous and never attained on a platter.
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, speaking on the essence of today’s commemoration in view of the litany of unmet demands year-in year-out, said that no government anywhere in the world has ever met labour or workers’ demands without collective action and fight.
He stressed that Labour will continue to engage governments at all levels as well as the private sector in a bid to get its demand for good working conditions, social justice and shared prosperity for everybody met.
Reacting to the seemingly slow pace of getting the proposed minimum wage actualised, Wabba explained that there was a globally accepted procedure for getting such in place as enacted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and that Labour was following that to the letter.
“Minimum wage is not just about government; it is also about all employers of labour, both public and private. That is why the process needed a tripartite committee where all the social partners would be on the same board and engage. There has been progress. This is to ensure that when it is eventually passed into law, no one would question the resolutions,” he said.
In his reaction, another labour leader, Owei Lakemfa, said though he was aware that public hearings were held by the Minimum Wage Committee across the nation last week, it does appear that the process was dragging for too long.
He expressed the view that having governments and other private employers who at the moment were owing workers’ wages is enough reason for Nigerians to be dissatisfied and to demand redress. “May Day is a fit and proper time for workers to review work conditions and make such demands appropriately,” Lakemfa added.
The Secretary General, National Union of Textile and Garment Workers of Nigeria, Issa Aremu the struggle for improved work condition was continuous because Nigerians were far from being better off. “What is most important now is for labour to ensure that government approves the new minimum wage before the year runs out as it has promised. The old N18, 000 minimum wage can no longer stand,” he said.
President of United Labour Congress of Nigeria (ULC), Joe Ajaero, also said the need to review workers’ wages had become important in view of hyper-inflation and devaluation of the Naira, which had impacted negatively on workers’ take-home pay.
Ajaero insisted that workers not only deserved wage increase, but also better welfare package in both the public and private sectors. He also called on government at all levels to address issues of insecurity, unemployment, hunger, deprivations, poverty, homelessness and deprivation of the masses of social services and infrastructure.
At the moment, a good number of workers across the states are being owed salaries drawn based on the old minimum wage. This is in spite of their respective governments having accessed the FG’s bailout funds about three times. How easily could the same governments buy into the new wage structure being contemplated?
But Wabba dispels fears. According to him, the essence of creating public hearing sessions is to enable everybody to argue, make proposals and agree on a figure. “The governors have been committed and cooperating with the process. So, no governor, at the end of the day, would say he was not carried along once this is passed into law,” he said.
There have been complaints of massive job losses by Nigerians. At the same time, the FG claims that between six to seven million jobs have been created since it assumed power. While the NLC agrees that the FG may be correct with its claim, it queries how decent and sufficient such jobs may be in view of the massive number of unemployed youths the nation has.
Wabba said, “If jobs are being created, they are certainly not enough. The situation is very disturbing. Clearly, we are losing workers because of the harsh economic conditions and the unfavourable power situation in the country. I am aware that most companies are sending workers out of their jobs.
“In a population that is close to 200 million, if we don’t sustainably create jobs – jobs that can create huge impact, the challenge of insufficient jobs and unemployment would continue to linger. So, NLC is also concerned with how to productively engage our youth. And the government must respond effectively to this challenge.”
But what does the new labour year hold for Nigerians. Would it be another futile wait?
The FG, while praising the resilience of Nigerian workers, gave assurance that it would vigorously pursue causes that will make life and indeed working conditions better, just as it promised not to backtrack on the minimum wage issue.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, enjoined workers not to lose hope in the face of current challenges as government was committed to reviving the economy, enhancing security across the nation and stemming the malaise of corruption.
Ngige said that the President Muhammadu Buhari government was also committed to enhancing workers’ welfare and prosperity for all citizens.
“Our modest achievement in creating equal conditions for job security and improved welfare for workers as well as the ongoing discussions to give effect to a new national minimum wage bear out our commitment to the upliftment of the workforce,” the minister added.