Towards a better deal for Nigerian workers

The celebration of Workers Day was held across the globe yesterday. Nigerian workers across the 36 States and the Federal Capital, Abuja also joined their counterparts all over the world to mark this annual celebration which is dedicated to highlighting plights and workers condition in the country.

The theme for this year celebration is “Workers’ Right and Social Economic Justice.” Despite being described as the back bone of the nation’s economy, it is not controversial to say that Nigerian workers are not having it good in terms of adequate welfare, living wage, security of job, condition of service among others.

As we speak, in the face of astronomical rise in cost of living in the country, the workers minimum wage is N30,000 which is even not up to $50 and unfortunately, there are many employers who are still not willing to pay the actual minimum wage.

Added to this is the not so inspiring story of government owing workers backlog of their emoluments such as cooperative deductions, contributory pensions, gratuities among others which are running into billions of naira.

It is even considered a grievous sin the refusal of government to pay those who had served the country in their prime their gratuities 10 years after retirement. This insensitive act from the government has led to the untimely death of many retirees due to lack of money to attend to their medical needs.

This action of the government some also say could encourage some workers to want to help themselves, that is, to corruptly enrich themselves so as to make up for the shoddy treatment of the government after retiring.

Sometimes, the workers are forced to go on strike for months because the government had joyfully decided not to honour the agreement it willfully signed.

It’s unfortunate that the Governors who have swept the issues of workers welfare under the carpet wouldn’t waste time to enact for themselves laws that will serve as shield for them to enjoy gargantuan salaries and allowances even after leaving the office.

One other challenge confronting workers in Nigeria today is the issue of job security. Many workers in the private sector are employed on a contract or casual basis, with no job security or benefits. This not only affects their income and ability to support themselves and their families but also their health and well-being. Casual workers are often denied access to basic benefits such as health insurance and pension schemes, leaving them vulnerable in times of need.

Of recent, there has been worrying increase in the number of Nigerians, highly skilled professionals like Nurses, Medical Doctors among others that are leaving the country due to poor working condition and very discouraging remuneration.

Our healthcare sector is bearing brunt of this mass exodus of our highly skilled workers just as the people who daily throng these hospitals are not getting commensurate medical care because those who trusted hands have all left to another country in search of better living.

It is therefore not surprising to observe that the call of the labour leadership during the celebration of this year Workers Day hovered around urging government and other employers of labour to address the worsening poverty, insecurity, unemployment, poor working condition, inflation, high cost of living among others.

It is against this background that many considered it as a matter of top priority for the government to prioritise the well-being of its workforce.

The government must renew its commitment to the ongoing struggle for workers’ rights, and work together to address the challenges and injustices that still exist in workplaces and communities. This means ensuring that all workers have access to decent work, fair wages, and basic benefits such as health insurance and pension schemes. It also means recognising the importance of unions and other labour organisations in promoting social justice and equality for all workers.

It is the strong opinion out here that the country won’t make so much of a progress if it fails to address all the yawning gaps around its workforce, especially those that will motivate the workers to give their very best and remained comitted to pursuing a more prosperous and vibrant nation.