Buhari urges incoming govt to respect workers’ rights
By Joy Obakeye and Ukpono Ukpono
President Muhammadu Buhari has asked the incoming administration led by President-elect, Bola Tinubu to respect the rights of Nigerian workers as a way to maintain national industrial relations.
At the 2023 Workers’ Day celebration on Monday in Abuja, President Buhari, in his speech, stressed the crucial roles Nigerian workers have played in time past that led to the growth and development of the country.
“We have gone through the trios of negotiations and collective bargaining mechanisms utilising the Instrument of social dialogue and like in any other human relationships, sometimes we disagree to agree or agree to disagree but always progressively seeking a consensus for a better society and economic growth.
“I encourage the incoming Administration to continue to respect workers’ rights imbued with socio-economic development and driven by the four pillars of the decent work agent to promote jobs and enterprises, guaranteeing rights at work, extending social protection, and promoting social dialogue for consensus building and maintain a Sound National Industrial Relations System.”
The President noted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the multiple recessions, and other economic headwinds on the welfare of workers, stating that businesses and jobs were lost and new forms of employment relationships emerged.
He added that “the government affirms the need for the enthronement of decent work which sums up the aspiration that all people have for their working lives; Workers’ rights coupled with socio-economic justice make a happy workplace. We, therefore, agree that a fair economic structure targeted at creating opportunities for all to succeed irrespective of sex, race/ethnicity, age, disability, creed, religion, etc. is the sine qua non for progress and development.”
Also speaking, President-elect, Bola Tinubu aligned with the position of his predecessor, stressing that, “as your President-elect, I extend my hands of friendship to the Nigerian workers through the two central Labour unions – Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress. “In me, you will find a dependable ally and co-labourer in the fight for social and economic justice for all Nigerians, including all the working people.”
Tinubu also maintained that his plans for better welfare and working conditions are spelt out in his Renewed Hope Agenda for A Better Nigeria. “It is a covenant born of conviction and one I am prepared to keep,” he reiterated.
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The president-elect called on Nigerian workers to join in the fight against poverty, ignorance, disease, disunity, ethnic and religious hate and all negative forces that contend against the stability and prosperity of the country.
“I shall have the honour and privilege to lead from May 29, workers will have more than a minimum wage. You will have a living wage to have a decent life and provide for your families.”
President-elect Tinubu reiterated that “the days ahead will, however, demand better understanding and cooperation from all sides, because leadership will require that we take tough and hard decisions so that our people and all Nigerian workers can live more abundantly.”
Meanwhile, a joint statement by the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, comrade Joe Ajaero and his counterpart in the Trade Union Congress, comrade Festus Osifo, highlighted the crucial roles of Nigerian workers.
The labour leaders maintained that any nation that is thinking seriously about development will not joke with its workforce; but “unfortunately, our leaders treat us with near disdain and sometimes with outright contempt.
“Why would the welfare of workers be seen as charity? Why would governments at diverse levels owe workers arrears of Salaries running into years without remorse? Why the lethargy in paying workers their hard-earned income?”, the labour leaders asked.
“It is therefore very simple, if our social partners want more from us, if they want to increase productivity which is the basis for national development then, they must be prepared to treat us better. They must be prepared to treat us first as humans and then, as major contributors to wealth creation.”
Speaking to the theme of this year’s Workers’ Day celebration, ‘Workers Rights and Socio-Economic Justice’ the labour leaders stressed that workers are faced with a myriad of challenges including poor wages, and lack of access to social infrastructure among others.
“Poor wages exclude, Increased Decent-work deficits alienate, abuse of workplace rights and privileges dishonours, unpaid salaries strips workers of their humanity, violation of rules of engagement defiles, harassment and intimidation of workers humiliates and refusal to grant access to social infrastructure for workers reduces.
“Poor nutrition, increasing number of working hours, poor and restricted access to decent Housing, Health and Education combine to dehumanise and subjugate the rights of Nigerian workers. Subjugating worker’s rights subjugates the entire society,” they stressed.
The labour leaders maintained that the government should not see the need to regard wages increase as a dash, or a giveaway when there’s a call for better deals for Nigerian workers.
…NLC demands for 65 years retirement age
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called for review of civil servants’ retirement age and years of service in the entire public service to 65.
NLC President, Jeo Ajaero, made the call during the 2023 Workers’ Day celebrations on Monday in Abuja.
Ajaero also called for general review of core civil servants’ salaries to narrow the gap in other civil servants’ emoluments and those in other segments of the public service.
He said that the extension of years of service should go round, as it had been done in other sectors of the public service in the country.
“Only few other establishments, including the core civil service, are now left out.
“We are, therefore, demanding that the age of retirement and length of service in the entire public service, including the civil service, be reviewed upward to 65 years of age and 40 years of service, ” he said.
Ajaero said that the union had, over the years, demanded for salary review but had yet to receive Federal Government’s attention.
“It is necessary to recall that we have continued over the years to demand that the salaries of core civil servants be beefed up to narrow the gap between their emoluments and those in other segments of the public service.
“They all possess the same educational qualifications and cognate experience on the job. So why the disparity?” Ajaero queried.
On gratuity payment, the NLC president said union leaders had, on several occasions, presented the issue to government without any positive response.
“Fellow comrades, we have consistently presented the issue of gratuity payment to the government but nothing has been done in that regard.
“As you are all aware, the concept of gratuity payment to employees is predicated on the fact that those who have laboured for public institutions or private enterprises are entitled to the proverbial golden handshake from their employers.
“Thus, gratuity is a monetary benefit given by an employer to his/her employee at the time of retirement without the worker making any financial contribution whatsoever to the fund,” he said.
According to him, such a lump sum is meant to enable the retiree finance any post-retirement endeavour of his/her choice.
“The Pension Act did not abolish gratuity payment and we demand its restoration in many public sectors where it has been stopped, ” the labour leader said.
…Ratify ILO Conventions 102 on Social protection, Labour tells FG
The Oganised Labour has called on the Federal Government to begin the process of ratifying conventions 102 of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), on Social Protection.
Mr Festu Osifo, President, Trade Union Congress (TUC), made the call during the 2023 May Day celebration on Monday, in Abuja.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “’Workers Rights and Socio-economic Justices”.
“We call on the Federal Government to begin the process of ratifying conventions 102 of the ILO, as it is central to the actualisation of social justice and inclusiveness.
“It provides appropriate guarantees for workers’ rights to survival during and after work life, and also guarantees access to decent life for many Nigerians.
“It is important that Nigerian leaders understand that without guaranteeing the rights of workers, without allowing workers to win, Nigerians and Nigeria will not win.
“We are Nigerians; when we win, our nation wins and makes sustainable progress. It is the duty of government to provide the right environment for this to happen.
“Our nation must lead with a job led growth. When jobs grow, income increases and the economy is revved higher, but we need to protect those that do these jobs,” he said.
Osifo maintained that to protect workers, employers of labour must ensure that the right working environment was created, and frameworks for compliance with laws were established by government.
The TUC president however, called for deepening of engagements at the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC), and expansion of periodic meetings
He said there was need for the establishment of constant tripartite workplace audits that had become inevitable.
Osifo also called for the speed up of trade dispute resolution mechanisms in the country.
According to him, the organised Labour will soon commence actions against state governments that are yet to fully implement the 2019 National Minimum Wage law.
`This is in view of the rising wave of impunity in our workplaces and the actions of public sector employers, who are owing arrears or salaries, pensions and allowances, among others,” he said.
He also said that actions would be taken against private companies nationwide, that had turned their workplaces into platforms for lawlessness and de-humanisation of workers.
He also said that organised Labour was demanding that the privatisation of the electricity sector be reviewed in favour of Nigerians.
Osifo, however, said that the resumption and ramping up of the activities of kidnappers and bandits immediately after the elections should be quickly addressed
He also called on the Judiciary to purge itself and redeem democracy, by its handling of the various election petitions before it.
Osifo also said the Federal Government should not heed IMF’s advice on Tax increase, or all of its economic advisories, as they were poisonous to Nigeria’s economic health.
“We reiterate our preparedness to resist every action of the government to inflict suffering on Nigerian workers and masses.
“We will not allow our members to be turned mindlessly into beasts of burden any longer.
“We will stand together as workers and as a people to protect our rights to decent work and social justice,’’ he said.
