We‘re no longer at ease with our conditions- Workers

THE increasing challenge of unpaid salaries and other benefits, job insecurity, casualisation of workers, intimidation, among other unfair practices, confronting both public and private sectors’ workers in Nigeria is the manifestation of the dangerous trend in the world of work. Writes Victor Young for the Vanguard

In fact, besides the melee that took place at the Abuja Eagle Square venue of the National May Day celebration organised by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and its Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, counterpart, reports of heightened restiveness of workers across the country is a pointer to the growing  frustration of workers  at the work places. Speaking on the  development during the May Day rally at the National Stadium, Surulere, Lagos, President of United Labour Congress of Nigeria, ULC, Comrade Joe Ajaero,   lamented that the future of the workplace was hanging on the balance and under heavy threat by forces of greed by both the corporate and individual. According to him: “Our workplaces are no longer places of comfort but have become places where the working class are exposed to serious psychological and mental torture.

Working and the world of work is being systematically stripped of its humanity while the frontiers of impunity and exploitation are being daily extended by the historical forces that have mindlessly pursued profit against the welfare of the majority. The ingredients that make work fulfilling are degraded daily and despite the centrality of work in shaping human history and the role workers play in this, their conditions are objectively destroyed. It is our belief that the destruction of our workplaces will destroy the society and its consequences for our world that conditioned the emergence of ULC on 17th of December, 2016. “Our declarations on that day which includes amongst others that; it has become imperative to reconnect the trade union movement to its ideological roots from where it derives nourishment and direction and that there is therefore an urgent need for a renewal and rebirth of the movement in order to recreate a movement capable of fulfilling its potentials to Nigerian workers, masses and Nigeria.

These are true today as they were then in December 2016. This is definitely not the time for bickering within the movement as what confronts us threatens our collective existence both as trade unions and as members of the global community. Revival of trade unionism “We must therefore seek amongst others; the revival of trade unionism in our nation and the globe, to reposition the trade union movement as a progressive partner to all structures involved in the pursuit of national development, to restore the soul of the movement and reconnect with the desires and expectations of Nigerian workers, peoples , to create a movement that is purely anchored on our original philosophies which is creating a coherent and vibrant platform upon which to engage our present realities and enthrone a trade union movement prepared to endure into the future, to offer a responsible, responsive and robust partnership between Nigerian workers and its social partners with an eye directed at innovative frameworks that would drive harmonious relations in our workplaces founded on the principle of equity, fairness, justice and progress We are happy to inform you comrades that since inauguration, we have taken these challenges with both hands.

The Aviation sector has received our determination and is becoming more compliant with the standard practice of labour relations and the laws governing it; the Private Telecommunication sector has tasted us and is also beginning to comply with our laws while after this May-Day, the Banks and other Financial institutions will have a taste of ULC before the Oil and Gas sector including the Electricity and Iron and Steel sectors. To this end, we once again call on those with wrong perceptions of our emergence to have a change of heart and take our outstretched hands of fellowship so that together, we can co-create a labour movement that would stand the test of time. Once again, we call on the Federal Ministry of Labour to urgently pursue the revitalisation of the Nigeria Labour Advisory Council – a tripartite body with a view to reviewing our Labour Laws and enacting new ones to strengthen the nation’s industrial relations space and make our workplaces and work safer. Protecting, defending workers’ right On his part, President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba, while speaking on how Congress had protected and defended workers’ right in the last one year, said:   “As leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress and industrial unions, we have spent the last 12 months since our last commemoration here in Eagle Square in May 2016, fighting  series of battles to protect and defend workers’ rights. This ranged from public sector workers struggles with state governments, majority of whom were not prepared to prioritize payment of workers’ salaries and pensions in the various state civil services.

We fought against retrenchment in both the public and private sectors of the economy; we fought for firms and manufacturers to get foreign exchange allocation to keep our factories from closing, and our jobs moved to other shores, and countries in the sub-region. Within this period, we fought against the steep increase in the price of fuel; and we fought against corruption and for good governance Similarly, President of TUC, Bobboi Kaigama, said: “The federal government must understand that the world of work that is being undermined today is central to humanity. It is painful that we build the prairies upon which this country thrives yet the political classes muzzle us. Our work defines us.  We are always willing to work because we know the consequence of not working. Government must realize that one of the most dangerous people on earth are people who do not know where the next meal will come from, people who feel that nobody cares about their predicament and sees no reason to want to live, people who cannot meet the needs of their kids. “The federal government must take the creation of new workplaces seriously through empowerment schemes that would make real impact on the nation and not the jamborees that are celebrated in the media. This is the way to go if government really wants to deal with insurgency, political thuggery, suicides, robbery and the general discontentment towards the country.”