To make the economy more productive, the organised labour says employers must make the workplace conducive for economic activities to thrive. TOBA AGBOOLA examines the push for industrial harmony.
As the year progresses, guaranteed industrial space in an atmosphere of peace would be needed to deliver an economy that is productive.
To the Organised Labour, this should be the focus of the country if it going to surmount the present economic challenges. Labour said for a productive economy to be birthed, the workforce must be happy both on and off work premises.
Expectedly, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said it would pursue the implementation of the new minimum wage in the states with vigour and ensure that the consequential adjustments of the new wage structure are negotiated at the state level.
Its President, Ayuba Wabba, who expressed worry about the increasing level of unemployment, said NLC will join the government in seeking solution to the challenge by convoking a national job summit.
He said: “The Nigeria Labour Congress will mount a very robust campaign for the generation of mass jobs and for existing jobs to be decent.
To this end, the NLC is perfecting plans for a National Job Summit in 2020. We will get stakeholders, experts, policymakers, demographics and workers on a roundtable to find answers and solutions to Nigeria’s burgeoning unemployment crisis.”
He added that patronising made-in-Nigeria goods and services will help tackle the menace of unemployment.
Also, Wabba said security agencies must shelve the toga of ‘above the law’ posture which some of them adopted in the past, saying: “A major sore point in the past was the penchant for overzealous security agents to resort to self-help in the prosecution of their duties.
By so doing, they forgot that Nigeria is a democratic state governed by laws. We all have a duty to protect our institutions and our fledgeling democracy from the perception of abuse and from actual hijack by those whose primary responsibility should be to protect and defend our democratic institutions.
The desecration of our courts by the Department of State Service is an ill wind that should never blow again.”
NLC called for the defence of civil liberties, which include the right to organise, freedom of association, the right to protest and the right to embark on strike.
It reminded those in political leadership that respect of human rights are guaranteed by the 1999 Constitution and relevant ILO Conventions, is fundamental, sacrosanct, inviolable and non-negotiable.
The central labour body reiterated its resolve to pursue national peace by continuing to put the needed weight on the things that unite Nigerians and hold in contempt the things that seek to divide them.
“We encourage our political leaders to exemplify the same by their utterances and conduct. By so doing, we would be laying an enduring foundation for national peace, unity, and development.
“We demand that the government must prioritise the security of lives and property. Nigeria has seen enough bloodshed.
While we commend the sacrifice and commitment of our soldiers and other security personnel in the war against terrorist insurgency and other violent crimes across Nigeria, we urge the government to do all it takes to end the bloodletting and brigandage in different parts of the country.
As we have always canvassed, the war against insecurity must be anchored on human security. We must feed hungry stomachs. We must create jobs to engage our youths. An idle mind is devil’s workshop,” Ayuba said.
The planned renovation of the National Assembly complex with N37 billion drew the ire of NLC.
He observed that given the level of Nigeria’s under-development, it is a misplaced priority to renovate the complex at such a huge amount.
He said: “Workers are deeply concerned about the plan to renovate the National Assembly with about N37 billion. Given our developmental deficits and level of poverty, we consider the proposed renovation as a misplaced priority.
This is more worrisome given that the National Assembly Complex has enjoyed top-notch routine maintenance. In the year and in the decade ahead, we urge government at all arms and tiers to be altruistic in their priorities and to demonstrate utmost fiscal restraint and discipline.”
NLC berated the infraction of the Pension Reform Act in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
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He urged the state governments and the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to comply with the pension law by ensuring the immediate enactment of enabling laws on Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) for states yet to do so, prompt remittance of employers and employees’contributions to pension fund administrators, actuarial evaluation for retirees whose pension is due and procurement of a group life insurance policy for workers under the CPS.
On his part, Olaleye said the congress did not oppose some policies that were deemed offensive because of the need to save the ailing economy.
Among some worrying issues, TUC said, are the minimum wage and its consequential adjustment, sack of workers without redundancy negotiation, breach of the collective agreements and casualisation.
TUC also flayed Nigeria’s democracy, saying it is the most expensive in the world.
He said: “The cost of governance in Nigeria is highly unreasonable, no hyperbole. Investigations have revealed that political officeholders are one of the highest-paid in the world. They borrow to massage the greed of a few in a country adjudged to be the poorest in the world.
To the National Union of Hotels and Personal Services Workers (NUHPSW) General Secretary, Leke Success, labour expects the government to be proactive about many things.
“The government must prioritise fixing of roads. Almost all the roads in the country are now death traps. Almost all the roads in every part of the country allow kidnapping to take place.
In fact, one can say that the roads are one of the major factors boosting kidnapping.
Government must move away from lip service and social media propaganda that claim humongous work has been done but in reality, almost nothing is being done when one gets to the roads.
“The government must also deal with insecurity whether in the form of banditry, armed robbery and attacks by terrorist groups.
Apart from that, labour wants to see a collaborative effort between the government and labour to tackle unemployment. As it is, labour has become a strong voice in the economy.
‘’We have added, speaking on behalf of the people, to the struggle for the betterment of the workers who are our members.
So, we are a very good group of stakeholders that government should partner us in many ways more than one in ensuring that Nigeria is better for all with a strong and growing economy,” he said.
TUC former President, Peter Esele, said labour must engage the government on every issue of national importance, and tell it what is wrong and then offer it a solution.
He urged state councils of NLC and TUC to review the budgets of state governments, identify areas of wastage and point them out, saying this would help stem the tide of corruption in the country.
Esele insisted that labour must expand their areas of influence and stop being reactive to national issues.
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