An open letter to the Ayuba Wabba-led NLC

By Waheed- Kaakaki Olawole

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing —  Edmund Burke (1729-1797)

THE Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, remains the foremost body which has been promoting and protecting the interests, rights and welfare of Nigerian workers. The body may have experienced a series of transformation in its nomenclature from the colonial era. What has never changed, and will never change, is its sole responsibility/duty to stand at all times for its members against all forms of maltreatment/injustice. To a large extent, the body had lived up to expectation, particularly in the area of engaging governments at all levels to reverse their policies deemed obnoxious and inhuman.

Having highlighted this most important duty of the NLC, it is pertinent that Comrade Ayuba Wabba and his executive members know that Nigerian workers are suffering and being subjected to all sorts of enslavement, as against the objectives of the body, in their own fatherland.

The suffering and enslavement of workers are happening because government refuses to wake up to its responsibility of implementing policies which will prevent workers from untold hardship. Many foreign companies have taken advantage of government’s lip service and undue attention to the plight of the indigenous workers to inflict more pains on their workers through tough working conditions.

In fact, these foreign companies that are fond of seeing and treating Nigerians as slaves are largely owned by nationals of China, Lebanon, Korea and India. Many workers in these companies had died, and many more are dying just because they have no voice or perhaps, their voice could not be heard.

One has to go to the factories owned and run by these foreigners I have mentioned to ascertain the extent of horrible working conditions of our brothers, sisters, fathers and mothers being experienced in the hands of these people. These wicked and painful working conditions are different and many. To start with, the status of most of these workers: it is unfortunate that many Nigerians in these companies remain casual workers after spending not less than five years.

They (foreign employers) refuse to make them staff in order to deny them enormous and juicy benefits that will come with being made staff. It is to the advantage of these companies that the indigenous workers they employ remain perpetual casual workers for donkey years, for those with casual status are used and dumped like used tissue papers.

Poor remuneration is another bane of Nigerian workers in the hands of these foreigners. In spite of the government’s policies over the increased minimum wage, some, if not most of these employers refuse to comply all the time. Where and when some brave workers protest or decide to protest against this injustice, the foreign employers threaten to sack or sack them outrightly.

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Like I mentioned above, the victims in this condition, though have voice, their voice cannot be heard for fear of losing their jobs. These foreign employers deliberately keep our people in servitude so that they can continue giving them peanut for their hard labour and no entitlements at the end of long service.

Lack of workers’ union in many of these companies has compounded the woes of Nigerians more. Truly, it is when the union exists that the NLC, which is the parent body, can liaise and intervene on behalf of workers. It is necessary to point out that so many conspiracies between the companies and some heartless Nigerians who are benefitting from the pains of the poor workers weaken or prevent outrightly the setting up of workers’ union.

It is not debatable that where there is no workers’ union, Nigerians are in bondage. They (workers) are maltreated, made to face all sorts of injustice. These are very few terrible conditions of our people in the hands of most companies owned and managed by the nationals of China, India, Korea and Lebanon.

Many Nigerians, even those with university degrees, are struggling to go to the United States of America, many European countries, even South Africa and Libya, to mention but few, to work in their factories just because the conditions there are pleasant and bearable.

It may interest you to know that some, if not most of these factories, in these foreign lands are owned by the same nationals maltreating our countrymen, but they dare not treat their employees over there the way they do to our countrymen. Perhaps they would have loved to perpetrate this wicked treatment, but because the governments in these foreign countries are often responsive and responsible to the yearnings and plight of their people.

There are laid down policies which guide the companies in handling and dealing with the workers. The workers are fairly or well paid. They (workers) are not overused. They work as workers who get their appreciable wages or salaries as at when due.

They are not treated as slaves or discarded as used tissue papers after long years of service. It is a pity that the reverse is the case in Nigeria. In spite of the fact that there is Ministry of Labour, how many times has the minister or any top official from the ministry left the comfort zone of his office to pay a surprise visit to any of these factories?

If successive ministers of labour are doing this, the injustice from these foreigners would have stopped or drastically reduced. This is Nigeria where government officials pay less attention to pitiable condition of schools because their own children are sent abroad to acquire education.

Health facilities are depreciating daily because they(government officials) travel abroad for medical attention. So, it is less surprising that steps that ought to be taken by government for these foreigners to see and treat Nigerians as workers rather than slaves are not taken.

If government has failed or not lived up to expectation in this area, I think the NLC which is even closer to workers should rise to the occasion and fill the gap created by  government. There are many ways it(NLC) can achieve this and more. First of all, my appeal goes to Comrade Ayuba Wabba and his fellow comrades.

They are labour leaders today, some were there before them, and certainly some will succeed them. It is on this note, I urge them (NLC leaders) to be more passionate about these workers going through various degrees of pains. NLC under Wabba should be more proactive in this aspect. I have few suggestions which I believe if NLC buys into will stop this nonsense from these foreign tormentors.

One of such suggestions is that NLC should endeavour to lobby government to introduce and implement policies that will check the excesses of these foreigners/employees relationship which has been unfriendly and inhuman, and it is obvious that our people are at the receiving end.

Suggestion relating to the above is that NLC should apply the same pressure it often applies to get government do its bidding. It is very certain that if NLC announces that companies must conform with government’s laid down rules and regulation over workers’ welfare, no one will refuse to comply. If this is done, poor remuneration will give way to the good one. NLC should not stop there.

There is this story of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, former NLC President I heard. I urge Comrade Wabba to emulate him (Oshiomhole). During his tenure as a labour leader, he (Oshiomhole) embarked on a tour of companies. After his meeting with the management of a certain company, he decided to go round the factory and see the workers. While going round the factory, he paused and acknowledged the dexterity and expertise of a worker operating a machine. The following conversation ensued between Oshiomhole and the operator.

Oshiomhole: Young man, you’re so good at the machine

Operator: Thank you sir

Oshiomhole: How long have you been working here

Operator: Twelve years, sir

Oshiomhole: Are you a staff?

Operator: No sir!

The story goes thus that Oshiomhole got so mad with the Nigerian managers and senior staff around that he was hitting them with anything he could lay his hand on. Oshiomhole’s actions on that fateful day would definitely have lasting positive effects on many workers who have been enslaved as casual in the company in question. I am appealing to Comrade Wabba to do this and more.

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You might not necessarily visit all these companies by yourself as it is not doable, but you can delegate trustworthy members who will not betray or compromise to do this on your behalf. These oppressed workers in question need to be visited without prior notice to the management. If this measure is taken once in a while, these employers will sit tight and take the welfare of their employees seriously.

Last but not the least of my suggestions is the issue of workers’ union. Many companies have made a workers’ union an aberration. These companies usually apply the full weight of their companies’ laws against any worker(s) who attempt to bring unionism into the companies. Many workers have lost their jobs due to incidents like this.

Companies ought to have nothing to fear over the proposed workers’ union, if they do not have sinister (evil) agenda against their workers. Most of these companies who are enslaving our people find fertile ground to do this evil because they do everything within their power to prevent the setting up of workers’ union.

I urge NLC under Wabba’s watch to go a step further to lobby our lawmakers to pass a bill that will make it unlawful for companies with more than 50 workers not have a union. As we read this, hundreds, if not thousands of companies are in our country tampering or violating our peoples’ rights due to the lack of workers’ union.

We have been magnanimous enough to provide a fertile ground for them (foreigners) to set up their businesses, we should not be foolish to make it a normal thing for them to continue to oppress and enslave our people. If the country is not conducive and suitable, they (foreigners) would not think of being here in the first place.

Having revealed all these atrocities and injustice our people are suffering in the hands of these identified foreign employers, I hope Comrade Wabba and his executive members will not overlook this letter. Rather, they should see it as a clarion call to double their efforts to free their compatriots from man-made bondage.

Politicians/elected office holders have no legacies to leave behind but the fulfillment of their campaign promises to make lives better and more meaningful for the people; in the case of the NLC, its main duty and responsibility remains the promotion and protection of workers’ interests and rights.

Olawole, a historian and public affairs analyst, wrote via: Kaakaki2005@gmail.com

Vanguard News Nigeria

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