The evil called outsourcing

By Juba Adeola

Sir: Outsourcing is an inhumane policy that has been adopted by the private sector over the years. The banking sector among others, is a major user of this denigrating recruitment style.

The unholy policy is a modern day slavery tactic used by banks under the guise of minimizing cost. Nigerian banks rely heavily on contract staff for the smooth operation of their branches nationwide.

Contract staff provide essential and non-essential services directly and indirectly to customers. The outsourced staff are mandated to do more in exchange for poor renumeration and appalling conditions of service.

Although they are aware of the fact that they are being exploited, contract staff find joy in the fact that they have a job that pays even though the pay is small compared to what they deserve due to the high rate of unemployment in Nigeria.

They would gladly dress smart, flaunt their identity cards to the envy and admiration of friends and relations and put in extra effort at work with the hope that they would one day be considered for a permanent role that comes with the full benefits of being gainfully employed in a very reputable organization. A dream many usually give up on after a while.

Outsourced staff often suffer from burnout caused by several factors such as increasing work load, anxiety and more importantly a lack of appreciation from supervisors who see them as vulnerable species that must be made to work very hard in return for the slave wage they get at the end of the month.

They are usually treated with contempt and made to look inferior. Their effort is undermined deliberately with a view to show their role is not vital to the survival and advancement of the institution.

In Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment is responsible for ensuring financial institutions, organizations prioritises the welfare of their workers.

The National Assembly also has an important role to play in ensuring workers at all levels have access to improved welfare package.

Unfortunately, the ministry and the National Assembly are not doing enough to protect Nigerian workers; especially those hired on contract basis by outsourcing firms to work for banks, telecommunication companies and manufacturers, from undue exploitation.

This explains why Access Bank PLC, one of Nigeria’s leading commercial bank has a workforce with 75% of the bank staff outsourced as explained by the Group Managing Director, Herbert Wigwe.

Interestingly, the bank that recently donated one billion naira to the federal government in the fight against COVID-19 is considering a mass retrenchment of its workforce, as a response to the ravaging economic effect of Coronavirus.

The proposed measure will ensure the banks most vulnerable staff members (security men, cleaners, tea girls, teller’s) will be laid off without proper compensation.

An inhumane and unfair treatment that is usually meted out to contract staff whenever an issue arises.

This ugly trend subsists and persist because of the non-unionisation of contract staff as well as the lack of enabling laws to protect this category of workers from undue exploitation.

This course must be championed by the National Assembly, Ministry of Labour and Employment and labour unions to ensure that able bodied, skilled and intelligent workers don’t end up as industrial slaves.

• Juba Adeola, jubaadeola@gmail.com