Once again, the citizenry witnessed a hint of industrial disharmony in the polity last week. While the Nigeria Labour Congress and its allies, for the umpteenth time, embarked on yet another protest, the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors threatened to disrupt the industrial harmony in the nation’s health sector.
For the NLC and its sister organisations, the recent plan by the National Assembly to move the national minimum wage from the exclusive to the concurrent legislative list is an attempt to undermine the Nigeria’s working class. It is more than enough justification, according to NLC, for its members to embark on strike. “We are protesting against attempts to by some elements at the National Assembly to remove the minimum wage from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list”, the union had stated.
Doctors under the auspices of NARD also threatened strike over the unjust delay in the incorporation of members (House officers and some resident doctors) on the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS) platform for over three months.
NARD’s other grudges border on the non-payment of minimum wage and other salary arrears to its members; non-implementation of the 50 per cent of consolidated basic salary as hazard allowance for all health care workers and non-payment of the Medical Residency Funding for 2019, 2020, and 2021.
“We wish to remind you that some of these issues have lingered on for so long and had culminated in a nationwide industrial action on September 14, 2020 which was later suspended to give room for further negotiations and possible settlement”, the NARD said.
The two groups, no doubt, are among the strong labour forces in the land and any action taken by them will have far-reaching consequences on the wobbling nation’s economy and the health sector. For instance, the ongoing distribution, allocation of COVID-19 vaccine as well as the dispensation of the jabs on the citizens require the special input of the NARD. So allowing NARD or any other health union to embark on strike now will make the COVID-19 vaccination initiative to suffer greatly.
Similarly, labour’s role in the nation’s socio-economic development cannot be dismissed with a wave of hand. Their imprimatur is almost every where in the economy. At a time, the economy is struggling to rise, letting workers to embark on fresh strike will be akin to committing economic suicide.
It is against this backdrop that we urge the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to look into their agitations. The nation cannot afford to witness another instability occasioned by protest from workers. From the industrial actions embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Nigerian Medical Association, to the dislocation caused by the EndSARS protest in the last one year, the nation has witnessed enough disharmony. In fact, analysts say we have yet to recover from the disruption.
The authorities, including the National Assembly, therefore, should push for a way of resolving some of the logjams. The nation must not wait for a full-blown industrial action before they begin to seek a way out of the crisis. Let a more proper and comprehensive negotiation among stakeholders commence immediately.
Luckily, the leadership of the National Assembly has agreed to meet labour leaders this Tuesday over the bill which seeks to remove the minimum wage negotiations from the exclusive legislative list. Thus, ThisNigeria looks forward to a seeing an amicable solution to the misunderstanding. Beyond the National Assembly, the Presidency should also move swiftly to nip any further labour-related crisis in the bud.
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Even at that, ThisNigeria still urge the unions, especially labour to reappraise its decision on embarking on strike.
For instance, the union’s insistence on uniform national minimum wage, which is at the root of the current agitation needs to be looked at again. We note that labour’s current advocacy runs contrary to the spirit of fiscal federalism that a majority of Nigerians are canvassing in order to move the country to a loftier height. Let a deeper introspection be labour’s guiding philosophy. Embarking on industrial protest at the slightest provocation is not the way to go. It does no good to the corporate image of labour.
We, consequently, call for caution and urge all stakeholders to allow the polity to witness some peace. Let robust negotiations take the front burner so as to check the incessant strikes in the land.
