Workers Vs FGN: Matters Arising | By Akeem Adebiyi

Admin October 13, 2023October 13, 2023 0 Comments

I am miffed by the raging crisis between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s PBAT-led administration and Nigeria’s workers . The fact remains incontrovertible and incontestable too: it is the working class that creates wealth, which sustains the state. It is also crystal clear that the primary source of our ordained wealth rests in the hands of the government at the centre i.e.FGN.Hence, nothing can be further from the truth, to the effect that the entire welfare of the citizens in Nigeria lies in the efficient management of our resources by the state. Albeit, successive political administrations in Nigeria have always gotten it wrong in terms of addressing the challenges of the working class,most especially their welfare packages, payment of living wages, and incentives. Rather,the governments have often resorted to the arbitrary and diabolical means of repressing the workers’ legitimate aspirations to better their lot in the scheme of things.

In retrospect,some labour leaders were hounded into jails, some were illegally dismissed from service, others were maimed for life, and several others were blackmailed into submission. This has been the trend of Nigeria’s government’s atrocious treatment of the protelariats. The schisms that were deliberately created by the government among the workers are stumbling blocks which were meant to free the political authorities from financial encumbrances on the workers’ welfare. The house that divides against itself can’t stand. In the guise of exercising the freedom of association,the TUC was exorcised from the NLC and given legal backing by the FGN. Similar references abound among the trade unions in Nigeria. This is the tragedy of the workers’ movement in Nigeria. Hence,the power of collective bargaining has been rendered impotent by the unfortunate intra- and inter-organisational skirmishes among the labour leaders. Most of the so-called leaders do not have the required training and expertise, which are quite germane to the success of the struggle. They are not well focused, while the majority of them are bereft of ideas on the real objectives of the struggles. The system just threw them on board and saw themselves as comrades. At the negotiation tables,most of them can’t withstand the intellectual fireworks of the government’s hirelings and team, who are thoroughly imbued with zest and knowledge of political economy and labour laws. The government often explores this deficiency in the labour leadership system to win them over.

The only weapon which is always available to the labour force is the strike, or work to rule action. The present scenario of the unfolding drama between the FGN and the labour force calls for a serious caution.The government’s offer of payment of #35,000.00 is just a palliative, which cannot firmly address the workers’ demand. It has even created certain unpalatable ripple effects in most of the component states in Nigeria. Yes,the state branches of the labour movements have started agitating for a uniform treatment. And they are morally justified in doing this. Where do we go from here?
The FGN should pull the bull by the horns and do the unimaginable. The team set up by both parties should expedite action on the assignment and complete it within two months. Anything short of this may distract the government’s attention from governance proper to crisis management. Let both parties be realistic and reach a truce over the matter. Otherwise, the present government may end up spending a better part of its tenure at settling labour and politically motivated crises.
Already,the government is presently choked up by a myriad of challenges, on insecurity,poor economy,poor infrastructures,crises of confidence between it and hoi polloi,just to mention a few. Adding more to these challenges shall definitely throw the governance system off the balance.
The opposition parties are on stand to escalate any industrial crisis by identifying with the protesters. There are saboteurs in our governance system. The government should not allow the unpatriotic lots to disturb the system. This can be achieved by paying serious attention to all the genuine complaints of the labour force. Resorting to the application of political gimmicks to riggle out of the festering crisis amounts to postponing the evil days.