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By Bimbola Oyesola
Setting the agenda for the new government may not be easy, but if there’s anything the National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) wants from the new government coming in later this month, that would be securing the food sector through making business operations easier for the investors.
Lamenting the trauma being currently experienced by their managements through various taxes, levies and tariffs, new president of NUFBTE, Garba Ibrahim said the unbearable situations are already forcing the investors out of Nigeria, thereby exacerbating the problem of unemployment and the attendant insecurity.
Garba also took a swipe at the government on the current economic situation in the country which has further impoverished Nigerians, adding that employers of labour are now hiding under the situation to owe workers backlog of salaries.
He speaks also on governors that has refused to implement minimum wage of 30,000 even as Organised labour are preparing for another round of negotiation next year.
Current economic situation
We are passing through very serious challenges especially with the recent Naira redesign policy. As we speak, there are long queues in bank with people struggling to get their money. Some employers are hiding under this issue to avoid paying workers. Some are owing up to three months in arrears in salary.
However, we hope that with the incoming administration, things would change for better. We know that it is not easy and it would take a lot of time for them to improve things, but by the grace of God, we would come out of the situation we find ourselves now.
Labour expectation from new govt
We expect them to provide a conducive atmosphere for our industries to operate. For example in the food sector, we have cried out about the over taxation of our companies, excessive custom and excise duties and tariffs on our products.
Most companies in our sector are leaving the country to neighbouring countries because of all these unnecessary charges. This may cause a lot of our workers to lose their jobs which may in turn result to aggravate the insecurity situation in the country. We want the incoming government to address our plights on these issues.
Inflation
The organized labour is ready for negotiation about the new minimum wage because the new leadership we have in the organized labour is equal to the task. With the caliber of NEC members in the leadership, we have now, what it takes to take care of all the challenges confronting the workers. Our leaders can take care of the situation.
States refusing to pay minimum wage
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 that 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.
Casualisation
We have challenges with outsourcing and casulaization. Although it is rampant, even the government outsources, but this very issue has posed a serious threat to our sector. With the vision and encouragement of our immediate past president, we have been able to initiate guidelines on casualization and outsourcing workers. The guidelines are now before the Ministry of Labour for ratification. Immediately that is done, it would come into law.
If that is done, there would be no difference between a permanent worker and a casual because whatever guides the permanent workers also guide the casuals. In our sector also, we negotiate review of our salary every two years with our employers body. Soon we would start a new review of the salaries and other benefits. But on the casualisation guideline, immediately it is signed, it would become effective for both casual and outsourced workers.
Unemployment and brain drain
If you take a quick survey, you will discover that out of five Nigerians you meet, three of them are unemployed. Meanwhile, the other two who are employed, one of them would be a permanent staff while the other would be a casual.
If government does not tackle the issue of unemployment, it would in turn worsen the issue of insecurity because an idle hand is the devil’s workshop. I want to advise the new government to prioritize employment and job creation in both the formal and informal sectors.
If we can keep our teeming youths from being idle, by the grace of God, we would have peace.
When the NLC president, Joe Ajearo visited us last month, we told him about our challenges and he promised to take it up especially with the rice farm we have in Kano. We have almost 22 companies operating in 24-hours full capacity, which if we are able to join hand based on our food sector, it would enlarge our membership base. But it is an issue that demands support from the national, the NLC. We should join hands together, harmonize them, and bring the workers into our sector.
I advise those companies who are rejecting the unionisation effort to desist from shying away from their responsibilities. We urge them to allow our members to be unionize because the constitution enshrines on them the freedom of association.
As a new president by the grace of God, we have 13 state councils in our headquarters, all of them are going to have a desk officer in charge of organizing and unionization. We are going to take it up from our headquarters here to other various state councils.
