Averting That Media Workers Strike

The Radio, Television and Theatre Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ)  last week shelved a nationwide strike that was to take effect from Thursday  last week. The  postponement of the action was to allow the NUJ  conclude its conference in Benin.

The unions have further agreed to meet this week to decide on whether or not to commence the industrial action. This is  because officials of the unions were in touch with the Ministers of Information and Labour who were hopeful of the intervention of the President.

Perhaps, we should note that the action of the media  workers is significant.  There is no record of any articulated demand of the media for itself in Nigeria before now.  Indeed, this is the first time a strike action of this magnitude would be brought to the table.

What this means is that media workers  may have become totally disillusioned and therefore desire immediate consideration of their pitiable plight. But it would be a grave mistake to allow  media workers embark on strike in Nigeria now.

The unions have for long asked for a meaningful salary scale for their workers  without success. But the country has approved special scales for other professionals whose job prescription may not be  more dangerous or important when compared to what the media undertakes.

Sadly, media workers have been exposed to too many indignities in Nigeria. Yet, the problem of standards in the practice and the proper remuneration appear not to interest the authorities from time. This has also made the professionals one of the poorest in the country.

Meanwhile, journalists for instance, are referred to as the fourth estate of the realm, but even the office assistants of officers of the other arms of government are treated better, even in terms of remunerations. Because of this reality, many people have dared to call practitionals  “Press boys”.

Yet, the media is the only professional group that is charged by the constitution to carry out a critical national assignment. This they have done at great risk to life and well  being. Indeed, the media has done for Nigeria too much to merit the ill-treatments that have been meted out to them for many decades in the country.

It is on record that the media and its practitioners literarily spearheaded the clamour for independence and  practically chased away the colonial masters from Nigeria at the time very few appreciated  the word patriotism. Even within living memory, the media again fought for democratic rule and practically fought for return of the military back to the barracks to usher in civil rule in Nigeria.

But today, the people that enjoy special salary scales are the politicians, the judiciary workers, the medical workers, the teachers, the petroleum workers,  even  sports men and those in the youths ministry get rewarded. In some cases, the take-home of people in this special group  nearly doubles   what a media worker gets.

It is on record that in some states, people in this group also enjoy regular training and travelling opportunities, they get car allowances and the directors in those Ministries are placed on GL 17 while the media directors struggle with GL 16 on the same system.

Yet, the media workers work round the clock. It has been scientifically proven that being a brain work, media practitioners are among the high risk group. This is even not because of the many travels that expose them to accidents but also the coverage of crises, natural disasters among others, where they advance even when the military retreats.

In Nigeria, the media has also made possible so much for all the professional groups. They have made every other person’s problem their concern and defended every good cause and served as the bastion  of patriotism, but they die unsung very often in penury.

In the civilized democracies, media workers are tops. Indeed, in the United States of America, a broadcaster Walter Cronkite earned more than the US President in his days. But if the media worker is paid like a slave, he loses self worth and joins the ranks of the sad, poor and frustrated elements. People  in this category can hardly contribute their best to national unity, peace and development.

The founding fathers of the profession did not consider the possibility of strike for media workers, because no modern society can survive without them. Media workers do not only set agenda, but also represent the moral  fibre and indeed the guardians of national ideals and values.

While we call on the authorities to act fast and stop the planned strike, it is almost impossible to advise against the action because that appears to be the only language understood in Nigeria. Of  course, it is time to raise the practice of the profession in Nigeria and to take the country towards transformation. But that cannot happen if the media worker is frustrated.