By Bimbola Oyesola
We have continued to champion the interests of our members – Innocent Jaja, NUSDE President
With the re-emergence of stores all over the federation, the National Union of Shops and Distributive Employees (NUSDE) has its hands full and great challenge to ensure that Nigerians who work in the sector are not short-changed by both local and foreign employers.
President of the union, Innocent Jaja in this interview revealed how the union under his leadership has been fighting the battle to reposition the union and deliver on their core duties to the members.
Excerpts:
So what would you say stand you out?
Before I do an elaboration let me let you know that on the 10th of February this year, an organisation that is a non governmental organisation, Center for Ethics and Self Value Orientation based in Kogi state gave our union certificate of credence and they said the center haven’t conducted a multi sectoral independent secret assessment exercise in 13 states, including FCT, between March 2020 and December 2021, have singled out 10 unions amongst all the industrial unions in Nigeria. This is because they have seen that we are amongst the ethically upright, responsible, less corrupt unions in Nigeria. And that after the exercise among the ten, we came third. Then they went further to confer on all the National Adminstrative Council (NAC) members, an Award of Excellence and then they presented to the national president that my humble self an award also, which they titled Ambassador of Ethics and Conscience in Nigeria, with effect from 10th of February, 2022. That now being the reason why when I mentioned my name, I added ION. So that’s just to let you know that we are not just saying it ourselves. Non Governmental, non labour organizations has said so and then they gave us letter of credence. So to us we have done our best and to the glory of God, we have been commended with this award, to the union, to independent NAC members.
We have continued to champion the interests of our members. recall that within the period under review, the ownership of Shoprite changed 100% from a South African investors, to a Nigerian investor. We were actually on top of the situation. We had reasons to shut down the company three times because you cannot hand over a company to a new person, without telling us what is going to happen to the workers working there. We stood our ground and to the glory of God, today, we did not only secure an M.O.U amongst others, that say that all the workers retained their jobs, so their jobs were secured. We went further to secure an ex-gracia. That’s unprecedented. An ex-gracia to a layman like me will mean that when you’re leaving your employment, they can give you something. But we insisted that the outgoing management, that these workers have worked with them and they agreed with us that they are best of workers. So we got an ex-gratia of two weeks gross pay to be paid as part of condition of service to the workers. So 100%, their jobs are secured and added more to that is the ex-gratia. So the workers are happy and we are equally happy because that’s what the union stands for.
Organising
We have equally gone further, from the last May Day to now, we have stood our ground to fight employers that are recalcitrant and do not want workers to join the union. So today, to the glory of God, we have some employers that had listened to us because of our resilience that presently their workers are now members of the union. And so we will continue to insist that workers must be given their rights to have their choice, especially when there are no issue of jurisdiction between unions. I want to call on the management of some of these companies, I will just mention few of them, Jara stores, Market square, Everyday Supermarket, Next Cash and Carry, Prince Ebeano and a host of others who are resisting workers, blocking workers from belonging to the union. We’re going to resist it very very, very soon. Because the law is clear that workers should be allowed to go to the union of their choice. No employer is given any other instruments upon which to resist workers. As of today I’ve gotten all their list, for instance, Mega Plaza, Bazaar farm, Hallmark Supermarket, Blenco Shoppers hub, SkyMall, 90% of them are in Lagos. In Portharcout, we have Everyday Supermarket, Market Square, Next Cash and Carry, we also have Sundry Foods. In Kano, we have Sahad stores, WellCare stores. In Benin, to show our tentacles, we are battling with the management of Hallmark supermarkets and then, in Asaba we have Grand Square ventures and the host of others. So I want to use this opportunity to call on the management of these companies, that we will be coming hard on them. The workers must be allowed to belong to the union of their choice that operates in the industry and that is NUSDE. So we want to call on them that before we come, they should do the needful, and allow the workers to be unionised, otherwise they will tell the stories.
Collective bargaining
Secondly in our industry, we have a system that in every three years in about 97% of our member companies we do what we call national negotiation, where we meet with our employers, at National Joint Negotiating Council (NJIC). We meet every three years to review the conditions of service of our members across board. But managements were insisting that arising from COVID-19, 2020, 2021, and even up till now, due to the high cost of materials and whatever, that they will not do anything for the workers. But we said no, because as the companies have their own economic issues, so the workers. We told them that, if you’re saying inflation is high, costs of materials are high, what about the workers? Things are equally high. So to the glory of God, we were able to sign an agreement. I don’t want to put our figure here. But last year, we were able to sign an agreement that we got over N10,000 for our members. last year May too, we signed an agreement with Shoprite reviewing what the workers earned and other benefits, likewise in Game. So last year, we did all the negotiation that we supposed to do.
Workers Rights
Furthermore, except, it is not brought to our knowledge, as much as we do not encourage our members to misbehave. we encourage them to keep to the rules of where they are working, do their best, ensuring that the company they’re working continues to exist. Of course if there’s no company there would no union, no workers to organise. We equally insist, except it did not come to our knowledge that our member rights and privileges are not trampled upon. We don’t allow that. You see in our industry, it’s not as if we don’t have crisis, but we have a mechanism where we meet with our employers and I can be very fair to them to a very large extent they try to listen to us. So these are what we are doing and we are going to do more. We keep to our rules and in keeping fate with our Constitution, on the 26th of May, we are going to be in Asaba for our Delegate conference where it’s expected that leadership will give account of their stewardship and then election will be conducted to elect new leaders. We’ve equally had elections in the branches and units as a run off to the conference.
National issues
So we try as much as possible not only to limit ourselves only to union, but at the national issues. Insecurity in Nigeria is a problem. But government tend to give lip service to it. Now for instance, during the COVID-19, if there is one sector that helps brings succour to the country, it’s the Shops and Distributive sector. Our members were working, some malls were opened. People were staying overnight, two weeks without going to their homes. After that was #EndSars.
Spars for instance were attacked, Shoprites were attacked, Games were attacked. But what did government do? Government sent delegation to go and take pictures with a promise to give them support. Till dates nothing. I went to one of our member companies, Cash&Carry, I was amazed when the Managing Director showed me the picture, it was pathetic, the extent of ruin and damage that took place there. So I want to implore our government to look at companies that have suffered during the #EndSARS in our sector, and other sectors too and give them support. If a company for example, was bombed, looted and burnt, it’s not enough though it’s good to pay solidarity visit, but it shouldn’t end there. So please let government support our members that suffered during the #EndSARs. It will help our sectors to survive.
Let me equally add that we have been very consistent and supportive of our current board of the NLC. We have been very active in all the events of the labour centre and that’s why we are going to be part of the protest and every other activities lined up for this year’s May Day.