The world of work as lockdown eases

By Nwachukwu Obidiwe

The world of work has never been so challenged as currently is, as formal and informal businesses barely breath the world over. Public health, livelihood and wellbeing are seriously threatened.

Covid-19 has convulsed and brought the world on its knees as the global battle on the pandemic bears little fruits only.

The federal government termed it an “invisible enemy,” a situation so dire, do or die! Daily, the world counts thousands of heads downed as the global infection rate crossed three million, and death toll, over 400 thousand. The geometric spread of the pandemic in Nigeria did not go against global predictions after all.

With over two thousand cases and 68 deaths in two months, the nation sits on the edge as government eases the lockdown that has taken adverse effects on the economy.

But government’s decision to ease the five weeks old lockdown that made a ghost of the nation’s commercial capital, Lagos and its next door, Ogun State as well as Abuja was informed by reasons that have nothing to do with a drop in the number of infections or capacity of the nation to helm the ravaging pandemic that has hobbled even the more prepared western nations.

It was rather to save the economy from total collapse and stave off restiveness, revolt from hunger-stricken citizens in a nation that thrives 80% on informal economy.

President Muhammadu Buhari captured the situation succinctly in his address on April 28: “No country can afford the full impact of sustained lockdown while awaiting the development of vaccines.”

But even as many, especially self-account businesses and daily earners happily return to work places, a dimming optimism grips even the most enthusiastic.

The experience of Ghana and Germany both of which just suffered the worst second wave of the pandemic with numbers spiking unprecedentedly following relaxed lockdowns, stares at the nation.

It is a spectre that the chairman of the Presidential Taskforce and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha acknowledged in one of the daily briefings.

Nonetheless, President Buhari, renowned for taciturnity, has been beaming a ray of hope since his first Covid-19 broadcast to the nation on February 29.

His second address two weeks later which extended the lockdown was balm on the soul of a troubled nation.

An aside: Buhari is an unlucky President. A man who waited for over a decade of fierce presidential election battles with successive three losses, his vision of transforming Nigeria is here, viciously challenged by vicissitudes, latest being the raging pandemic.

He remains unbowed notwithstanding. His confidence that Nigeria would rise with the world from the ashes of the evil pandemic is expressive and reawakening: “Nigeria continues to adopt and adapt to these new global realities on daily basis … despite drastic increase in the number of cases recorded in the past two weeks, the measures we have put in place thus far have yielded positive outcomes.”

He further assures of measures that will “ensure the economy continues to function while maintaining aggressive response to the pandemic.”

The return of workers to stations across the federation, calls for risk assessment of work places in line with occupational safety standards, to avoid turning workers vendors of community spread.

“In the face of an infectious disease outbreak, how we protect our workers now clearly dictates how safe our communities are, and how resilient our businesses will be, as this pandemic evolves,” says Guy Ryder, the Director General of the International Labour Organisation, ILO.

The message is not lost on Nigeria as guidelines for the re-opening of offices came in a manner that ensures reduced physical interactions, improved ventilation, adequate facilities for handwashing and cleaning of surfaces in line with the Covid-19 protocol.

Read Also: Lockdown: NSCDC intercepts travelers in Ekiti

The work days and hours have also been reduced too.  This however has implications as the ILO warned that “1.6 billion workers in the informal economy which is half of the global workforce, stand in the immediate danger of losing their livelihood.”

No doubt, strong national programme for the health, safety and wellbeing of workers, especially those at the frontier, expresses the resolve of the federal government.

It has in place, a special hazard and inducement allowance, Group Life Insurance Policy and Employees’ Compensation for injuries, disabilities sustained and even death in the course of discharge of duties according to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige.

He said government would “extend social protection to the most needy, protect incomes, jobs, as well as rebuild, reshape and re-organise the economic and social infrastructure and priorities beyond the crisis.”

These are steps that align with the theme of the 2020 World Day for Safety and Health at Work entitled “Stop the Pandemic: Safety and Health at Work Can Save Lives.”

However, this bold response will have to contend with the aggressive pessimism, a reality that many workers currently face.

Though the Presidential Economic Sustainability Council is already engaging employers to save jobs and strategize on unique module for jobs creation, a gloomy signal emerged from the financial sector as some banks are already considering throwing out workers.

But Senator Ngige has warned against unilateral declaration of redundancy. “I wish to state that employers will not be encouraged to disengage staff without prerequisite social dialogue and clearance from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment,” he said on Workers Day.

It was a strong national response which led to the resolution of the Central Bank and the Bankers Committee to put retrenchment on hold. Is this just postponing the doomsday, many have asked?  The minister is not known for frivolous statements and has his way of weathering the storm of trade disputes.

A similar situation at the inception of the administration in June 2016 had the minister threatening financial institutions with withdrawal of operational licenses. The matter was later resolved by the National Assembly with applauses for the steps he took.

Nonetheless, the locale of the battle this time is certainly different. The Covid-19 pandemic has kept the world on tenterhooks, ruined businesses.

Nevertheless, the minister remains confident even as the ILO warned that nearly half of the global workforce is at risk of losing livelihoods. Ngige insists Nigeria is taking a job-rich strategy and has strong employment policies.

• Obidiwe, a journalist writes from Abuja.