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By Bimbola Oyesola
The Nigerian workers today joined the rest of the world to celebrate the Workers Day, also known as May Day. In Nigeria, workers experience daily reconnect them to the struggle that birthed the celebration in far away Chicago, in the United States of America.
Workers demand last year during the same celebration was for the entrenchment of good governance as the nation then prepared for fresh election that would usher in a new administration.
But this year, the theme for the May Day celebration is “Workers’ Rights and Socio-Economic Justice”.
The reason for the theme may not be far fetched with what Nigerian workers have passed through in the last one year.
Testing the workers’ patience
Perhaps what could have set the government against the labour was hurriedly avoided on Saturday as federal government retracted its decision to deny the workers’ access to Eagles Square for the May Day Celebration.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in a letter signed by its General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja to the affiliates has described the situation as unfortunate.
The NLC has said government withdrawal of access three days to the May 1 event after initial consent was considered to be mischievous.
“As you must have been aware of the last minute questionable action of the Government at the centre to deny us the use of the Eagle Square for this year’s May – Day celebrations three days to the event despite having granted us the permit months ago.
“Do remember that this is a venue we have been using in the past decades for our May Day celebrations,” the letter read.
Ugboaja noted that the sudden decision to withdraw the permit may be laden with mischief and actually a sign of what is to come in the near future. “It is a call to all of us to be prepared,” he said in the letter.
He however noted that the May Day celebration would now hold on the street of Abuja.
“As a result of this unfortunate development, we want to inform you that we have decided to shift the venue for the celebration to the Streets of Abuja so that we can deepen our reconnection with the people who are our true partners in the struggle for a free society,” he said.
The publicity that followed the action and what the implication could be no doubt forced the government to retrace its step and rescind the decision to enable the workers access to the Eagles Square for today’s celebration.
Socio Economic challenges
Nigerian workers are part of the general system that went through the harrowing experience of fuel scarcity, the unbearable naira scarcity that no Nigerian would forget in a hurry. But for the Organised labour intervention perhaps the situation would have gotten worst, though not yet an eldorado as people still queue endlessly to access their money from the banks.
Recall that both NLC and the Trade Union Congress had to issue threat to force the federal government and its monetary agency, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to change from the hard stance of forcing cashless policy down the throat of Nigerians.
The NLC in March threatened to shut down offices of CBN nationwide to protest the continuous scarcity of the currency and its attendant pain being inflicted on the people after the expiration of the ultimatum earlier given.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero said the action became necessary as the ultimatum given to the apex bank elapsed without any improvement on the scarcity of the nation’s currency.
He lamented the frustration of Nigerians, noting that despite the fact that they have money, they could not access it, adding that it has caused a lot of trauma to the economy.
The protest, he maintained followed the expiration of the seven-day ultimatum given to the federal government by the Congress, for the CBN and commercial banks in Nigeria to end the current cash scarcity. The TUC similarly issued a seven day ultimatum to the federal government, to address all the socio-economic problem bedeviling the country. According to the president of TUC, Festus Osifo, Nigerians have never been subjected to the nightmare of being unable to access their hard-earned money in the banks leading to business closures and inability to pay for food,
transportation and medical bills amongst other necessities.
“Also, the situation where the populace is forced to buy Nigerian currency or part with a significant percentage of cash just to get access to their own money is disheartening and evil. It is unacceptable that a country of laws with a plethora of government and security services in place is unable to curb these crimes against the people and bring perpetrators to book,” Osifo has stated. The President of the Chemical and Non Metallic Products Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (CANMPSSAN), Segun Davids also lamented the reprisal effect the scarcity of naira is already having on the chemical sector, one of the foremost sectors in the nation’s economy.
“Cash has been a big issue. Many companies could not make ends meet because in the chemical sector, we sell to retailers and they buy with cash. Moreover, when they do not have cash, they would rather think of something else or sometimes abandon the business completely. This has grossly affected our members and some companies have been shut up till date,” he said.
The CANMPSSAN President lamented that Nigeria has been in dire strait for the past one year and the situation is now rather critical.
For Osifo, who doubles as the president of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Nigerians have no reason to suffer any hardship, moreso the incessant fuel crisis and high cost of energy.
According to Osifo, never in the history of the country have Nigerians been subjected to so much pain, sorrow and anger.
Workers plight
The condition of Nigerians workers have not seen any improvement since the celebration of the last year’s May Day
Rather labour leaders said the condition of the workers has nose dived begging for serious intervention. Due to inflation, workers have had to contend with high cost of daily essentials like foods, electricity bills, skyrocketing price of Petroleum products and the rest without any commensurate increase in wage. Workers may also have to wait until next year before getting any pay rise if it is possible without government and the employers foot dragging on the negotiation as it has happened in the past.
Although, the Minimum Wage has become a law which any violator could be prosecuted in the court of law, but labour is yet to avail itself of this opportunity to secure justice for it’s members against states who are yet to implement the wage four years after.
In February this year, few days after Ajaero took over as the NLC president, the Congress directed all its affiliates in Abia State to commence an indefinite strike action against the state government.
This follows the expiration of the ultimatum issued against the state government in relation to the state refusal to implement the minimum wage.
The President of the National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE), Garba Ibrahim has stated that the governors not paying minimum wage are doing that not out of lack but a deliberate action.
He said, “If they have the will to pay, they would. Their refusal to pay is quite deliberate. If you trace the history, the federal government has tried to give them bailouts for them to settle workers’ debts, but most of them divert the bailout funds into other things.
“If they are serious, they would be able to pay.
We have taken the issue up with them again. Some state governors have refused to implement the minimum wage, simply because this is their last tenure. But we are hopeful that with new incoming governors in several states across the country, there are those who have the interest of workers at heart.”
Intervention in Politics
One thing that makes a great difference in Nigeria politics today is how the Labour party has been able to redefine the political space of the country within one year.
The NLC and TUC last year has launched the drive to enthrone good governance through rejuvenating the labour party and taken the ownership of the party, and the result of the election clearly shows that the cause was a success.
Among several demands then were,
“Our Charter of Demand posits that politicians should no longer be allowed to send their kids to schools abroad or treat their sicknesses in foreign hospitals while the children of the poor are trapped in endless strike actions and poor medical facilities which their failed leadership has imposed on all of us.
The immediate past president of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba has stated that “2023 is the year for workers, professionals, market women and men and our youth to organize and mobilize their colleagues to do the needful – which is to use our Permanent Voters Cards to send professional politicians to their permanent retirement. 2023 is the year that political campaigns will be on the basis of clearly defined manifesto which must resonate with the demands of Nigerian workers and people.
“Our Charter of Demands also makes a strong case for decent work for Nigerian workers. We are saying that those who contribute to Productivity and Wealth Creation must be the first partakers of their toil and sweat. We are demanding that instead of criminalizing picketing and strike actions, politicians should criminalize non-payment of salaries and refusal to honour collective bargaining agreements.
“Our Charter promotes decent work conditions for workers including equal pay for work of equal value, training, predictable promotion and affordable housing close to workers’ places of work. We have also made a case for prompt payment of pension and other retirement benefits to our aged pensioners and the protection of all trade union rights.
“Our Charter of Demands lampoons and seeks remedy to the lazy rentier mentality of extracting our natural resources in their crude form and shipping them abroad for processing and then importing the finished products at greater cost to Nigerians. This has been the crux of our struggle with the so-called deregulation of the downstream petroleum industry which is just a euphemism for the incessant increase in the pump price of petrol.
“Nigerian workers have been consistent for the past forty years demanding for effective and efficient local petroleum refineries. We have over the years held back the dam of oppressive petroleum products pump prices and hike in electricity tariff thus saving Nigerian people trillions of Naira that would have gone into the pockets of shylock capitalists and their collaborators in government.
“Our Charter of Demands is a pact of emancipation for Nigerian workers and people. It is our duty to put it at the front burner of 2023 politics. We can make this happen by mobilizing every worker in Nigeria to get their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) ready.”
This no doubt was done and the voice of Nigerian workers and masses resonates throughout the election irrespective of whatever the authority decides as the outcome, as there had been many pockets of complain about some irregularities in the election.
Expectation from new government
As succinctly put by the president of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria (ASCSN), Tommy Okon, workers are not particularly interested in setting agenda, as most of the manifestos are written by experts who would not be the ones to implement it.
“For us in the trade union movement, we look at what you have for the workers and the economy, because if it is well with the economy, it is well with the workers, and vice versa since labour creates wealth.
“Labour plays a central role across every sector. They are the engine that drives whatever policy is needed. For this, workers interests have to been taken seriously by the next administration,” he said.
He noted how the last one year has not been rosy for Nigerian workers especially given the mirage of socio-economic challenges that workers have faced. “The salary remained static especially for those in the core civil service who have had to survive with the minimum wage of N30,000.
Even with the N30,000, some state governors were recalcitrant about the payment. This made it very difficult for the workers to raise money to take care of their family and meet other social needs.
“The insecurity in the land also added serious injuries to the psychology of the workers because they are not guaranteed of their safety whether on the road, in the market, in their houses or anywhere else,” he added.
The former NLC President, Wabba has equally expressed the most important things to the heart of workers,
“We demand immediate clearing of pension arrears owed our retirees. Employers should deliver on prompt salary payment, periodic salary increment, promotion, regular training, access to social housing, affordable healthcare, paid vacation cum sick leave and compensation for injury at work.
“Congress pledges to continue to deploy labour standards to fight for and defend the rights and interests of Nigerian workers.
No doubt the coming days would see more vibrancy from the Organised Labour as it moves around to salvage its members from clutches of oppression and the system that fails to reward excellency. But also will not fail to acknowledge support from the stakeholders as the NLC recently commend the federal government on its just announced Salary award decision to public servants in the Country.
“This we are sure is in recognition of the extent to which its policies of last two years have caused hyperinflation in the country and deeply eroded the real wages of Nigerian Workers,” the NLC has expressed.
