May Day: Life becoming increasingly excruciating for Nigerians ― Organised Labour

THE Organised Labour elaborately marked the 2019 May Day celebration at the popular Eagles Square Abuja on Wednesday; with a declaration that life is becoming increasingly excruciating for the average worker and citizens in the country.

To this end, the Organised Labour said the government at all levels and the private sector employers should not waste a single more second in implementing the new national minimum wage across the board.

Besides, Labour used the occasion to decry unemployment in the country and the upsurge in insecurity, saying that the gains made in the first two years of the present administration are being eroded by an upsurge in armed robbery, kidnap for ransom, militancy, terrorism and other armed attacks.

Presenting a joint May Day speech in Abuja yesterday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) said for average workers and citizens life is becoming increasingly excruciating.

Labour, therefore, vowed not to accept a further delay in the implementation of the new wage and have, therefore, urged the workers to “remain vigilant till total victory is won.”

To further cement the solidarity and unity presently existing in the labour movement, the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, and the TUC President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, read the long speech interchangeably.

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While speaking, Comrade Wabba said: “Fellow workers and citizens, official data from the Central Bank of Nigeria indicates that inflation on all items (year on change) had dropped from 11.44% in December 2018 to around 11.25% in March 2019. Yet, the unofficial reality shows that life is becoming increasingly excruciating today for the average worker and citizens.

“The phenomenal hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as ‘fuel’, or ‘petrol’ in 2016, the devaluation of the Naira in the same year and increase in the cost of electricity in the past five years have sustained high inflationary rates. The persistence of double-digit inflation and stagnant remuneration for workers has almost wiped off the purchasing power of Nigerian workers.

“The impact of the prevailing hyperinflation on our pensioners and workers is better imagined than experienced. Working families are unable to meet up with the basic costs of living especially feeding and decent accommodation thus plummeting living standards to an all-time low.

“The worse is that most Nigerians are not even enjoying utility services such as public power supply, potable water, public education and healthcare despite very high user access charges. In the absence of cushioning palliatives, it appears that workers have become the sacrificial lamb on the slab of all that is not working in Nigeria. This is indeed very unfortunate.”

They called on the government to quickly finalize salary adjustment across the payroll of civil and public servants, adding that “we have already wasted a lot of time arriving at the new national minimum wage, we should not waste a single more second implementing the new national minimum wage across the board.”

While speaking, Wabba said: “Fellow workers, distinguished comrades, our recent struggle for a new national minimum wage of N30,000 has been one of the most arduous and long drawn in both our history as a movement and in the annals of our country. This should not be so. Well, as it is said it is better late than never. I salute all our comrades especially our leaders at the state level who astutely discharged the burden of leadership by mobilizing our workers during our different campaigns, rallies, protests and strike actions on the account of our demand for a new national minimum wage. It was your steadfast commitment and dedication to this struggle that won us victory.

“Once again, we recognise the solidarity of some of our Comrades and friends of Labour in the National Assembly who stood by us throughout the struggle for a new national minimum wage. We acknowledge the efforts of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation for easing social dialogue between us and the government while this process lasted.

“We also applaud President Muhammadu Buhari for being a promise keeper. He promised to sign the minimum wage into law and even after securing a second term in office, kept true to his promise by assenting to the new national minimum wage bill. That was another demonstration of labour-friendliness by Mr President.”

On the issue of unemployment, Wabba said a 2010 British Council Report on Nigeria identified unemployment especially youth unemployment as a demographic time bomb.

“Today, the bombs are going off in all directions by way of an upsurge in crime and restiveness. The National Bureau of Statistics reported in December 2018 that Nigeria’s unemployment rate stood at 23.1% in the third quarter of 2018, up from 18.1% same period in 2017. At the last count, the combined unemployment and underemployment rate in Nigeria was 43.3%.”

On the upsurge in insecurity, Wabba said:

“The gains made in the first two years of this administration are being eroded by an upsurge in armed robbery, kidnap for ransom, militancy, terrorism and other armed attacks. Boko Haram elements now operate from fall back positions to maim and kill civilians and security personnel. We must do something now to stem the tide of pastoralists-farmers clashes, attacks by armed herdsmen cum cattle rustlers and the terror of kidnappers which is clearly on the rise.”

In his speech, the Vice President, Prof.Yemi Osinbajo, said the new National Minimum Wage, which Mr President signed into law a few days ago, shall be fully implemented by the current administration.

The Vice President said: “So for this administration, the theme: ‘Another 100 Years of Struggle for Jobs, Dignity and Social Justice in Nigeria’ is not merely a headline for this May Day celebration, we truly believe that the Nigerian citizen, especially those at the bottom of the pyramid, must be the central focus of all economic planning and budgeting.

“The welfare and well-being of all these Nigerians who work everyday and render honest services every day is the true benchmark of our commitment as government and a people to social justice and dignity of all Nigerians.

“We will continue to commit ourselves to the cause of improving a lot of every working Nigerian and providing for those who cannot work.

“In this regard, the new National Minimum Wage, which Mr President signed into law a few days ago, shall be fully implemented by the current administration.

“Let me once again express our deep appreciation to the leadership of the Nigerian Workers for the understanding showed during and after the negotiations of the new National Minimum Wage.

“We shall continue to provide the enabling environment for higher productivity, industrial peace and harmony, as well as a congenial atmosphere for effective collective bargaining amongst trade unions and employers, while also protecting fundamental rights and other lawful rights of the Nigerian people and especially people who are at work.”

He added: “At the just concluded general elections, Nigerians and indeed Nigerian Workers gave our administration another mandate to govern them. We shall reciprocate this electoral gesture by focusing on the critical issues that will advance speedily and improve the quality of lives and livelihoods of Nigerians.

“These include the building of infrastructure, roads, and rail, hydroelectric power, and also reforming key driving sectors of the national economy in order to put the country on a sustainable path of economic growth and prosperity.

“We are especially committed to changing the narrative in the power sector. Today that sector, after it was privatized, still remains challenged in delivering power to many Nigerian homes and businesses. We must work as a matter of national importance and we are committed to doing so, to rework and re-engineer the sector for much more effective performance.

“Workers shall be called upon to play greater roles in supporting the government to attain all these goals I have stated. Industrial peace is central to economic stability. Every industrial disruption costs the national economy very dearly in money and man-hours that are lost.

“It is for this reason that I urge all actors in the industrial relations system to be more circumspect, patriotic and ethical in the use of industrial actions as tools for resolving workplace crisis and addressing grievances. Industrial actions, because of the huge economic and social costs, must be the last, not the first option for resolving disputes.”

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