May Day in times like this

Issa Adamu

I join all workers of the world on the occasion of 2020 May Day as the vice president representing our beautiful continent, Africa on the executive committee of Industrial Global Union. IndustriALL Global Union represents 50 million workers in 140 countries in the mining, energy and manufacturing sectors. It is an organized force in global solidarity taking up the fight for better working conditions of members and trade union rights around the world.  IndustriALL has over 40 affiliates in the Sub-Sahara Africa region with almost one million workers. Nigeria has affiliates drawn from, oil and gas, chemical, metal and steel engineering, textile and garment and energy sectors.

I bear witness that in 130 years of May Day celebrations, this year’s May Day (Workers’ Day) is the most precarious and dangerous! As the founding member on June 19, 2012, in Copenhagen, Denmark, this is the first time in eight years that the movement  which brought  together affiliates of the former global union federations – International Metalworkers’ Federation (IMF), International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unions (ICEM) and International Textiles Garment and Leather Workers’ Federation (ITGLWF) would observe virtual May Day.

May Day used to take place on the streets through solidarity matches and protests.  In 1980, during the Second Republic, the PRP government in Kaduna and Kano under Governors Balarabe Musa and late Alhaji Abubakar Rimi respectively commendably declared May Day a public holiday. In 1981 following the agitation of NLC led by its pioneer president, Hassan Sunmonu, President Shehu Shagari declared Workers’ Day a public holiday to celebrate dignity of labour. In the past 40 years (and my 35 years of trade unionism), this is the first May Day without open manifestations. This is because a precarious unseen coronavirus, (COVID-19) kills humans and threatens jobs, incomes and livelihoods of the working people in general. Globally, 3,147,626 Coronavirus cases have been reported, with 218,187 deaths and 961,871 recoveries (after torturous treatment regime). In America alone, coronavirus cases had passed the one million mark and deaths almost doubled Africa’s at 58,220 (more than lives lost in the Vietnam War) according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

In Africa, there have been 34,924 confirmed coronavirus cases, 1,529 coronavirus deaths and 11,336 recoveries. In Nigeria, as at Wednesday, there were 1,532 confirmed cases, 255 recoveries and 44 deaths. The dead and recoveries are not just figures or numbers. They are fathers and mothers, sisters and brothers, health and medical workers, factory and service workers, government officials, sportsmen and women, musicians with shortened aspirations.

I salute all comrades and affiliates in all sectors of our continent for joining the global struggle and resistance against this ubiquitous deadly opportunistic disease with all its negative impacts on jobs and well-being. Happily, we have a global union with vision. IndustriALL has strategic tools to cope with all challenges including that of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first tool is to advance workers’ rights. The immediate is the right to life. We salute all frontline workers. Labour not only creates wealth but saves lives. Coronavirus has no cure for now. Only preventions through personal and industrial hygiene. Just as trade unions face up to challenges of HIV/ AIDS, through preventive campaigns, workers should regularly wash their hands frequently with soap and water or hand rub sanitizer. Maintain physical distancing of   two metres, distance between yourself and anyone who is coughing or sneezing but with dignity and without stigmatization. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth. Stay informed and follow advice given by public health authorities. But all, the above are personal responsibilities against a rampaging pandemic. Governments and employers have the singular responsibility to ensure the safety of essential workforce under the lockdowns, especially the doctors, nurses, pharmacists and medical workers, media and information as well as security workers in general through the provisions of quality Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, has said more than 40 health workers in Nigeria have tested positive for COVID-19. Some have actually even died in both public and private hospitals. Better late than never!

It is good that the Presidential Taskforce on COVID-19 (PTF) had initiated the life insurance cover to the frontline workers on COVID-19 for a maximum of 5000 health workers who are employed to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The premium in the sum of N112,500,000 is however still token given the risks to irreplaceable lives. There must be social protection for all workers and citizens as a matter of right. And it should start now before we are faced with another pandemic. Secondly is the urgent task of defending livelihoods. It is commendable that organized labour under the most difficult conditions have risen to defend the right to pay, wages and jobs under the lock down. I salute the leadership of the NLC for ensuring that the directive of President Buhari that all workers should be paid as at when due during the lock down is respected by all employers in both public and private sectors. We salute the efforts of the Secretariat in Geneva for the good work to coordinate the efforts of affiliates in mitigating the impact of COVID 19 on sectors and regions and for sharing the best responses of affiliates worldwide. The NLC/TUC/ CIVIL SOCIETY labour situation room is novel and timely to promote the use the existing collective bargaining and social dialogue to ensure employers and government do not shift the burden of the pandemic on workers.

Workers’ pay and jobs must be protected. It is also significant and commendable that the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, under acting executive chairman, Nta Ekpeyong, had proactively initiated improved three categories of COVID-19 allowances for medical doctors and other health workers allowances, particularly for those in the frontline of the fight against COVID-19, starting from March. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, led the government team with doctors and other health workers, to effect payment from March.

I commend the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) which deployed the union power to resist the attempt by Governor Wike of Rivers State to harass members of the union on essential duty by security operatives. We salute the prompt action of the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, in removing former Rivers Commissioner of Police, Dandaura Mustapha, and replacing him with Gobum Mukan. The former CP played unacceptable anti-labour role in illegally arresting 22 members of the union from ExxonMobil on essential duty. The federal and state governments had listed categories of persons exempted from the total lockdown directives to include senior staff in the oil and gas industry which PENGASSAN represents.

COVID-19already made work precarious. No employer including state governor should further violate the rights of workers through intimidation and harassment. More than ever before, solidarity is needed to prevent the pandemic and protect jobs. We salute the solidarity of National Union of Electricity workers (NUE) and PENGASSAN in freeing the two Caverton Helicopters pilots and their 10 passengers that were arrested, charged to court, and remanded in Port Harcourt prison for allegedly violating the lockdown order in Rivers State. Lastly workers are also citizens who have legitimate claim to national government interventions in protecting lives and livelihood through unconditional cash benefits and palliatives.

• Aremu is Vice President, IndustriALL Global Union.