Need To End Workers’ Struggles

What is known as “Workers Day” or “May Day” across many continents of the world, was known as “International Labour Day”. Workers Day remains a memorial of the titanic struggles, pains and gains made by workers and labour unions, over a century. The struggles date back to 1886 in the United States where in May, about 400,000 workers in the employ of various labour employer  institutions, downed tools demanding a reduction of labour man-hours to eight as against the varying and discriminatory hours of daily work at that time in several work places. Sadly, about 147 years of the struggle that turned violent on the third day, workers especially in the Third World countries including Nigeria are still grappling with work-related vicissitudes and challenges which leaves much to be desired. Workers, through their labour organisations or unions have continued to demand and campaign for decent condition of service and fair pay commensurate with the harsh economic realities and inflationary trends in Nigeria.
The mantra or slogan  of “Struggles Continue”, associated with Labour is in my candid opinion, quite unnecessary and constitutes a reminder of the unfriendly conditions of service that the worker is subjected to, that will always translate to a struggle before they can access their entitlements, if at all granted.It is disheartening that in the last ten years, condition of work in many States of the country has moved from bad to worse. In some States, workers are owed salaries running into 24 months and above, no increment, no promotion, no good work environment, thus workers are grossly demoralised and their productivity is hampered.It is also reported that in many States of the country, the National Minimum Wage Law which stipulates a minimum wage of N30,000 for workers is only a mirage as many State Governors have refused to implement or implement fully the minimum wage law which is due for a review. Workers at the Third tier level of governance are worst hit because in most States of the country they are yet to be paid minimum wage and other entitlements.
Part time, Short term or casual work and badly paid work have become a norm in many work organisations – Federal, State Ministries, Agencies and Parastatals. Even with a workforce that depletes every year due to retirement, death, resignation for greener pastures, many State Governments and Federal Government still placed embargo on employment thus compounding the galloping unemployment rate in the country and imposing on the few serving workers, more work without incentives to drive productivity. That is why I view the bill to prevent medical workers from seeking greener pastures outside the shores of Nigeria, at the National Assembly,  as draconian and wicked, to say the least. Instead of providing good condition of service and attractive salaries, people who do not feel the bite of Nigeria’s bad economy because they are being serviced with a “thirds of the Nation’s recurrent budget”, whose work attendance is far less disproportionate to civil or public servants, could be so inconsiderate to allow such a bill in the “hallowed” chambers. Their action is veiled hatred for workers.
Even with the full implementation of the National Minimum Wage by some States governments, workers take-home (if any), is paltry in  view of harsh socio-economic realities-high transport fares, outrageous house rents, astronomical school fees, even in Government-owned institutions, unfriendly electricity tariff and utility services.To cushion the pains of Nigeria’s depressed economy on their workers, some conscientious governors have reviewed upward the minimum salary of their workers. This is commendable, because “stomach infrastructure” is the ultimate. It is the bedrock of development as self-preservation is the law of nature.The Russian philosopher and educationist, Lao Russell, once wrote: In vain you build the city, if you did not first build the man. For Russell, it is a misplaced priority to build the city at the expense of workers – a situation that is reminiscent of the adage, ‘Robbing Peter to pay Paul”.
The worker remains the most important factor of production. Play with the worker, you play with your capital and make realisation of corporate goals, policies and programmes far-fetched and elusive.The value and power of the worker as an invaluable asset cannot be over-emphasised. The Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, aptly captured the value of workers when he described them as, “Society’s backbone”, positing that the government owed workers a collective debt of gratitude. And the aspirations of labour are best realised under a responsible and a responsive Government.The worker works to provide for loved ones in Africa’s traditional extended Family setting, so the workers salary is a peanut compared to the take-home of political office holders in Nigeria and the domestic responsibility he shoulders .A situation where a government and other employers of Labour are not labour-friendly, portends untold hardship for workers.
How would retirees (senior citizens) who spent their productive years serving their State or country, be owed backlog of pension and gratuities. How will they survive the prevailing hardship. No wonder, some are dead, some are sickly and some are depressed. Let me say it again, the maxim, “The Struggle Continues”, in my considered view only reveals a continued nonchalant attitude to workers welfare by employers of Labour which inevitably will translate to endless struggles and uneasy calm.Employers of Labour should cultivate passion for their workers, provide a conducive work environment, increase salaries and improved incentives for the enhanced productivity of workers. A happy worker is synonymous with greater output.The lord and servant work relationship should stop. Relationship should be symbiotic and friendly. Let’s learn from satirical George Orwell’s Animal Farm to end labour-related struggles.

By: Igbiki Benibo