Labour Bill: Civil Societies, Unionists Brainstorm on Way Forward
Following moves by the Federal Government to decentralise labour through the Trade Unions Act amendment bill currently before the National Assembly, the Citizens' Forum (CF) recently organised a symposium where Civil Society Groups in collaboration with labour brainstormed on the way forward , reports Ndubuisi Ugah
The venue was the prestigious Lagos Airport Hotel, Ikeja. Infact, Oranmiyan Hall was filled to capacity with participants drawn from civil society groups, labour leaders, workers representing various industrial unions, labour activists, progressive intellectuals and students. Prominent among those present include Executive Director, Centre for Constitutional Governance (CCG), Dr. Beko Ransome-Kuti, former Secretary General of National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), Comrade Wale Osun, for President Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Mrs. Ayo Obe, Sec- Gen. Campaign for Democracy (CD), Dr. Joe Odumakin-Okeiyi and Secretary General Ethnic Minority Organisation for Africa (EMROF) Comrade Alfred Ilere.
Also present were Asst. Sec-Gen. Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Yakubu Denja, renowned columnist, Comrade Peter Alexander Egom, former NLC Secretary Gen. Comrade Sylvester Ejiofor, Comrade Wale Okunniyi of Youth Vigil for Democracy (YVD), Comrade Baba Omojola and Founder/ President of Pan-African Peoples True Democratic Council for Worldwide Peace, Comrade Kassunghov Kasmrlot Kassonghov, among others.
When Ransome-Kuti, the chairman of the occasion signalled the commencement of deliberations on the theme of the symposium, "Labour Pains: Midwifing Democracy", no one was left in doubt as to what the organisers intended to achieve through the symposium at the end of the day.
But as speakers mounted the podium to present their positions, it became apparent that the line of thought of the participants centred on Federal Government's "unconstitutional inteference" in trade unionism in the country.
Like what Ransome-Kuti said, the occasion was to serve as a platform for Nigerians to express their views over the controversial bill, and to also help in formulating a programme of popular action against the proposed bill.
In underscoring the objectives of the event, Ransome-Kuti said the symposium intends to serve as a platform for Nigerians to express their views over the controversial bill, and to also help in formulating a programme of popular action against the proposed bill.
He said the symposium was also an avenue "for Nigerians to rise up to the struggle to uphold the rights of all Nigerians including workers".
Ransome-Kuti expressed regret that rather than evolve policies that would better the lots of Nigerians, President Obasanjo has chosen to turn the country into a despotic enclave where nobody has any reason whatsoever to fight for his or her right.
Noting that the symposium was organised against the backdrop of the controversy generated by the submission of the Trade Unions Amendment bill to the National Assembly by the Federal Government, Ransome-Kuti said successive Nigerian governments at different levels have always deliberately engaged in activities to undermine trade union movements because of its consistent agitation in defence of the rights and aspirations of the oppressed classes.
He maintained that the present interference of the Federal Government in the affairs of trade union movement is in pursuit of the government's anti-people and neo-liberal economic policies.
"The obnoxious bill is a violation of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention on the freedom of association and collective bargaining", he argued.
He also said the bill does not follow the due process of the tripartite collective agreement between government, employers and labour unions.
The activist also maintained that "the bill ignored the on-going reforms of labour laws by the national council in which the Federal Government is a participant since 2001",
Ransome-Kuti observed "that the bill does not seek to democratise nor strengthen the trade unions as falsely claimed by the government but: to deregister the NLC; deregister the unions and all existing labour centres; annul the right to strike; remove automatic check off dues system; and to balkanise the labour movement and weaken trade union solidarity".
He stated that the present action of the government against trade union is a reflection of the failure of the state and its preference for repressive policies against popular dissent.
Interestingly, the occasion was not without the usual differing on issues by participants.
But speakers that subsequently mounted the podium equally collaborated his position by either buttressing it or advancing factors that could sustain labour's current efforts at checking government's move to deregister NLC. Surprisingly, therefore, some held contrary views, which made the whole session more intriguing and educative.
First to speak was Ejiofor, who said the reason why labour had always been at the receiving end was because it has remained a formidable force to reckon with in terms of standing for the rights of the Nigerian worker.
He cited the example of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), which he said was a professional body and not trade union. Ejiofor said by virture of being a professional body has undoubtedly made it a formidable force to reckon with, when issues bordering on members were deliberated upon. He noted that the group as a credible social entity always ensured that the interest of its members were sacrosanct. Ejiofor maintained that such was expected of the NLC, if it must achieve some of its set goals. He recalled that labour elsewhere in Africa and the world at large has assumed a new identity of being a global institution given its diverse interests and status as an affiliated entity to the ILO.
He remarked that government's reform programmes such as the ongoing privatisation processess and NEEDS, among others were an extension of the neo-liberal policies of the present administration which has come to make the private sector more passive, if not redundant.
According to him, it was irrational for Nigerians to believe that NEEDS has come to offer solutions to some of the fundamental problems facing the nation arguing that what is expected is the enthronement of a genuine democratic structure, which he said remains the panacea to the realisation of a healthy Nigerian state.
He pointed out that "a state that is patriotic, that has conscience and is legally installed is the panacea to the growing poverty incidence in the country", adding that the reform was not meant to advance democracy since a trade union is not in any way related to a footfall club but a strong legal entity since research has shown that labour understands government very well with the reverse coming from government".
He reasoned that had labour being passive in its relation to most of governments policies and programmes, "nobody would have thought of even thinking of amending the Trade Unions Act".
Interestingly, he noted that gone were the days when people see labour in an apolitical state as the present development has made it an ideological entity due to its positive impact on the society.
But Egom and Ilere, however shared the same line of thoughts as both of them queried if labour has actually lived up to its billing as the last hope for the Nigerian worker.
According to Egom, "labour has failed to discharge its obligations as expected of it which is why government has continued to see it as a veritable tool for attack each time issues bordering on workers is deliberated upon".
He pointed out that what President Obasanjo may be doing to labour in terms of decentralising it may after all be in the interest of labour at the long run as a way of spurring it to rise to its constitutional obligations to the workers plight in the country.
"President Obasanjo may be doing us good by trying to muscle the labour since those at the helm of affairs do not know what it takes to stand on their rights", he submitted.
On his part, Ilere asked "has labour being up with its responsibilities since 1966?" He said when labour was actually felt as a trade union body was under the era of prominent nationalists like Pa Imoudu and others, who participated in nationalists struggles to liberate the country from colonial bondage. He stated that what the country needed to liberate itself out of the present condition was for the convocation of a unity forum, where all the stakeholders in the affairs of the country would come together and chart a way forward for the country based on the abundant human and natural resources in the country.
Stating that he had been in labour struggle since his adulthood, Ilere urged government to ensure that a policy is put in place to cater for workers, and Nigerians at large who after serving the country can have something to fall back on in retirement.
Also, NADECO's former scribe, Comrade Osun said the bill is an attack on the integrity of all Nigerians. He observed that an adage says "that power is an opium", but regretted that the situation has turned the other way round with the present administration. He said that what the bill seeks to achieve was to undermine the rights of Nigerians and should therefore be resisted.
But President, National Democratic Movement (NDM), Comrade Chris Nwaokobia said the bill should be seen "as a shot in the hip of the present administration".
He pointed out that the bill was a manifestation of the various policies of government, which showed that they were not by any anyway people-oriented but anti-people and undemocratic in all its ramifications.
He charged Nigerians to wake up to their responsibilities as citizens of the country since it was obvious that "President Obasanjo was hell bent on decentralising labour no matter the spirited defences put forward by Nigerians".
According to him, the question Nigerians should be asking now should be, "what next after the passage of the bill?"
Obviously, NLC scribe, Comrade Denja viewed the whole development in another perspective. He urged Nigerians to be cautious in understanding the politics behind Federal Government's plan to decentralise NLC.
He maintained that what government intends to do was to remove the name NLC and allow the formation of other trade unions coming as independent entities to serve the same purpose. To him, the move was not only cynical but one that was not going to serve the country any good.
"Even though they may have their own thoughts and line of reasoning, I assure you all that nobody can stop me from holding or embarking on strike or to register my displeasure over any policy that is not favourable at all to workers plight", he said.
But the highpoint of the session came when Comrade Bukola Aremu, treasurer of the United Action for Democracy (UAD), speaking on behalf of Comrade Bamidele Aturu, convener of the UAD said the group was already planning for a mass rally scheduled for August 31, in Lagos as part of its solidarity move in support of the anti-labour bill, which is before the National Assembly.
Aremu, who also read the communique on behalf of the organisers said UAD was in support of moves by the civil society groups to fight against "this unwholesome act by government", adding that "UAD will always lend its support to the cause of the Nigerian worker".
Interestingly, when Aremu mounted the podium, the atmosphere became solemn as he read the communique of the symposium. As part of the resolutions, Aremu said for an atmosphere of conviviality to exist between labour and the Federal Government, it behoves on the Federal Government, to refrain henceforth, from continous unilateral review of existing labour laws as this would not augur well for the growth of trade unionism in the country.
In achieving this, the participants observed that, where such review became imperative, it should therefore, follow due process which is in tandem with the ILO conventions.
The forum, in a five-point resolution said "that the (Federal) Government has no business in unilaterally reviewing labour laws; "that the review of labour laws must follow due process which is consistent with the ILO conventions".
Noting that a balanced review of labour laws should be holistic and derived from the ongoing review process by the National Labour Advisory Council, the forum observed that the collaboration of labour unions and civil society groups should in the light of current developments strive to generate a programme of mass action to resist the obnoxious bill.
It also added "that the collaboration of labour unions and civil society groups will generate a programme of mass action to resist the obnoxious bill" and "that civil society must participate in all popular programmes organised by trade unions in defence of their rights".
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