The International Labour Organisation (ILO) said the global economic and labour crisis created by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic could increase global unemployment rate by almost 25 million.
According to the ILO, the virus has made a huge negative impact on the world’s economies, especially developing nations.
In a statement, ILO warned that the economic and labour crisis triggered by the spread of coronavirus, which has infected over 200,000 people and killed more than 8,000 people worldwide, would have far-reaching impacts on labour market outcomes.
“This is no longer only a global health crisis, it is also a major labour market and economic crisis that is having a huge impact on people,” ILO boss, Guy Ryder said in a statement.
According to him, studies considered different scenarios, including a best-case scenario, which pictures quick government intervention and high level of diplomatic coordination, and the best scenario showed a minimum of 5.3 million people rendered jobless by the crisis.
On the worse end, the crisis will see 24.7 million people become jobless, on top of the 188 million registered as unemployed last year.
President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba said past health crises in Nigeria, including Ebola, SARS, and the Swine Flu, showed that accountability and transparency requirements might need to be modified during emergency situations.
Ayuba, who is also International Trade Union Congress (ITUC) President, said: “This is no longer only a global health crisis; it is also a major labour market and economic crisis that is having a huge impact on people.’’
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He emphasised that underemployment was also expected to increase on a large scale in the country, as the economic consequences of the virus outbreak translates into reductions in working hours and wages.
“Self-employment in Nigeria, which often serves to cushion the impact of changes, may not do so this time because of restrictions on the movement of people, for instance service providers and goods,” he said.
Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC), Auwa Musa Rafsanjani, explained that Nigeria as a democratic government with progressive agenda in light of the COVID-19 crisis should know that this was a good time to heed the advice of development to restructure and rebuild the systems in place.
“It is clear that workers in Nigeria irrespective of their employment arrangements needed to access health care, stay at home when feeling unwell to not report to work sick, and benefit from income support in case of a crisis-related reduction of working time or job loss,” he said.
He added: “If USA releases $trillion emergency stimulus to pay each citizen $1,000, UK releases $330 billion business loan package, Germany releases $600billion stimulus, Canada releases $20billion economic relief package, stops payment of rents, Italy releases 26billion, pay the rent, pay baby sitter 600euros while Nigeria removed N20.00 from fuel price, answers to questions on how the outbreak could evolve are inherently uncertain, and they could change as the Federal Government adopts additional measures to control the outbreak.”
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