As Nigerian workers in the country join their colleagues worldwide today to celebrate Workers’ Day, they deserve to be congratulated and commended for their contribution to nation-building. What stands out for workers in this country is the excruciating conditions under which they work, contending as it were with galloping inflation that has rendered their wages dead rather than living; the high cost of transportation from home to workplaces, the traffic logjam that is common in many urban cities, and above all, the insecurity of their lives and property that has remained a constant for many years now.
These are factors militating against high productivity, but the Nigerian worker has managed nevertheless to remain relevant. Today, the country wishes them a successful outing. Beyond the expected fanfare and usual merriments, the occasion should be explored to reflect on how to attain higher productivity for the country and forge more accurate metrics to reward labour.
Workers’ Day also known as Labour Day was set aside to appreciate achievements and milestones as well as commemorate the struggles and sacrifices made in the course of agitation for workplace rights and improved conditions. The journey has taken a while, cutting across centuries and is still unfolding. The day was declared in the 1800s in the United States, to among others, mark workers’ successful quest for an eight-hour workday in place of a 12-16-hour excruciating workday.
Today, the eight-hour workday is observed across countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. As the world developed and prosperity increased, workers have continued to demand better workplace conditions and remuneration. In some countries, workers are paid hourly and are entitled to tea and lunch breaks as well as an opportunity to take a nap within working hours, all in the bid to provide a conducive environment for improved productivity.
In Nigeria, agitation for improved work environment and conditions began in the 1900s. By 1912 the Southern Nigerian Civil Service Union was formed. Soon, railway workers, teachers and other unions joined in the use of collective bargaining to demand improved conditions. The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUCN) was established in 1942 as the first federation of workers unions. In 1978, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was established to engage employers on behalf of workers. The enactment of the Trade Union Act of 1973 and the Labour Act of 1974 helped to put legal protection in matters of workers’ rights, collective bargaining, disputed resolution and workplace safety.
At different moments in history, workers have contributed their quota to growing the economy. They also assist in stabilising the polity at critical junctures. During the oil boom era when the economy experienced measurable growth, Nigerian workers proved themselves in the oil sector and in manufacturing. The textile industry that made waves in the 1980s, in Kaduna, Kano, Lagos and Aba remains a testament to Nigerian workers’ reputation for grit.
When military rule became unacceptable, workers were a major part of the civil society movement that campaigned for the restoration of civil rule. In the epochal fight to restore the June 12, 1993, presidential election, workers equally proved their mettle. They were at the forefront.
But today, the Nigerian worker is left to reminisce about the good old days when labour activism was plum and yielded tangible results. The average worker today is asphyxiating in the throes of economic strangulation. The cost of living is unbearably high and wages are miserably unable to mediate. Wages cannot take the workers home. Nigerians are stranded in the marketplace of high inflation, increases in tariffs on basic goods and services, and multiple taxes.
Both the NLC and TUC seem to misunderstand their roles in the ensuing workers’ nightmare. Today’s labour leadership appears to be of jejune capacity, unable to challenge government and sustain an argument. In their last wage negotiation with the government, they caved in too early, only to realise too soon that they were shortchanged. Workers’ unions also run the risk of being politicized to the extent of losing their potency as an instrument of pursuing their welfare.
At a time when the political class allocate mind-boggling sums to themselves in stupendous salaries and allowances, the minimum wage of N70,000 becomes a mere chicken feed. It is time Labour retooled itself to face government to demand better wages for workers. Labour was also apparently hoodwinked into believing that palliatives would be sufficient to replace fuel subsidy. Today, many workers cannot pay transportation bills.
Workers should rally around the Labour unions to replicate the historical resilience of Pa Michael Imoudu, the toughness of Hassan Sunmonu and the doggedness of Adams Oshiomhole when dealing with deceptive governments. Today’s labour leaders must learn the art of sustained and persuasive debate while being mindful of the overall advantage to workers. They must know how to sidestep political booby-traps and stay away from debilitating partisanship.
Today’s workplace is technology-driven. It requires skills and cutting-edge solutions to survive. Nigerians can no longer boast of workers with great skills as many such experts have been lost to brain-drain and repeated failure to standardise technical education. The government is not consistent in the country’s educational policies and curriculum, just as they are half-hearted in the pursuit of technically-oriented education. Universities in the country are dominated by the humanities while the secondary school system is bereft of STEM education.
Soon, Artificial Intelligence (AI) will dictate what is needed in the entire work environment. Many factory hands will be replaced. This should concern the NLC and the argument should no longer be about wage increases. They must step up to provide relevant training for workers to continue to be relevant.
The manufacturing sector has lost many players due to bad economic policies and high production costs. In the interest of workers, the government should revisit policies that deny employers the capacity to employ and pay well. Big conglomerates provide opportunities for skills transfer. The government must be concerned that they’re unable to remain in the country.
On remuneration, emphasis has shifted to improved metrics to determine appropriate wages. Again government and other employers of labour should embrace up-to-date productivity measurement. For instance, in many advanced countries, workers are paid hourly, with the advantages of flexibility, fair compensation, managing labour costs more effectively and providing opportunities for overtime payments. Nigerian employers should leverage new systems. The hourly payment could be a solution to the country’s bloated public service, where hundreds of workers are not accountable. This is the time to instil workplace ethics and merit-based service valuation. It’s time to enhance Nigeria’s productive capacity.
