In his article entitled "Opening Door to Renew the Hope of Workers," Lukman posited that based on revenue indices, it may be concluded that Nigeria is economically disadvantaged.
According to his statement, Nigeria's federal budget stands at approximately N20 trillion, equivalent to $30 billion. In comparison to countries such as Brazil, India, Indonesia, and South Africa, whose annual budgets exceed $200 billion, Nigeria is running at a mere 10% of its spending capability.
According to his statement, the problem was exacerbated by the fact that, with the exception of Lagos State, none of the 36 states in the Federation possess a budget of N1 trillion at the state level.
He stated that the budgets of the majority of states are below N250 billion. In relation to human expenditure, the average monthly costs incurred by state governments exceed N2 billion. Several states produce a monthly revenue of less than N1 billion. The average amount received from the federation account ranges from N3 billion to N4 billion.
Given the prevailing circumstances, it would be unrealistic to anticipate the ability to provide supplementary remuneration to employees in order to mitigate the impact of escalating costs of commodities and services resulting from the removal of petroleum subsidies.
Lukman, the National Vice Chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the North West region, expressed his appreciation for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) for their commendable decision to increase the proposed additional remuneration for federal government employees from N25,000 to N35,000.
The individual expressed apprehension regarding the failure of state governments to effectively enforce the National Minimum Wage. They argued that a thorough examination of employers' revenue earnings should be conducted in a manner that enhances the responsibility of public authorities within the nation.
The speaker emphasized the importance of establishing well-defined and ambitious development objectives as a crucial aspect of enhancing accountability within the public sector. This is particularly relevant considering the commitment made by President Asiwaju's government to attain a $1 trillion GDP within the upcoming eight-year period.
He suggested that there should be enhanced legal and institutional frameworks for collective bargaining in Nigeria, involving all employers of labor, including governmental entities at all levels, as well as the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC). It is imperative to realize that Nigeria possesses the requisite legal framework to support the process of talks.
These provisions are outlined in the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, as amended, as well as in several legislations such as the Trade Union Act, Labour (Employment) Act, Factory Act, Workmen's Compensation Act, Trade Disputes (Essential Services) Act, among others. The provision of procedural rules and laws pertaining to workplaces, encompassing discussions between employers and employees, is presented. The Trade Unions Act ratifies ILO Convention 98, which ensures the entitlement to engage in collective bargaining and organize.
One deduction that may be made is that there should be a correlation between the practice of collective bargaining between workers' and employers' organizations and productivity and revenue indices.
One of the primary obstacles faced in Nigeria's labor relations pertains to the establishment of a conducive environment wherein all participants in the negotiation process can foster trust and dedicate themselves to achieving the desired outcome of increased productivity and subsequently higher revenue. This, in turn, serves as the foundation for sustaining demands for enhanced rewards.
This is the need imposed by the present circumstances. In order to ensure the sustainability of the federal government's proposed new national minimum wage, it is imperative to prioritize strategies aimed at promoting growth and enhancing productivity across all sectors of the economy. Without achieving higher productivity and revenue in these sectors, the current monthly remuneration of N35,000 for federal employees may not be sufficient to cover the entire workforce and may not lead to long-term sustainability for the government.
Hence, in expressing appreciation for the Federal Government and the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) for their significant agreements on October 1, 2023, aimed at averting the impending strike action scheduled for October 3, 2023, it is imperative to emphasize the need for broadening the scope of negotiations. This expansion should encompass not only the federal government, NLC, and TUC, but also incorporate employers from the organized private sector and state governments.
The primary objective of the negotiations should be to facilitate the development of agreements aimed at enhancing productivity and generating increased revenue across all sectors of the Nigerian economy. These agreements will serve as the foundation for establishing essential cooperation frameworks between employers and organized labor throughout the country.
This statement reflects President Asiwaju's dedication as outlined in the document titled "Renewed Hope 2023," whereby he explicitly asserts his willingness to seize opportunities by stating, "Present us with a door, and we shall proceed to open it." Please present a road for our observation, as we intend to traverse it. Please present us with a problem, and we will endeavor to identify and propose potential solutions.
We are committed to addressing any instances of injustice that are presented to us, regardless of the duration or difficulty of the task. Enhancing productivity and augmenting revenue streams serve as potential avenues for addressing the issue of elevated cost of living within the nation.
Establishing comprehensive frameworks for facilitating negotiations between employers and organized labor is crucial in rectifying workplace injustices across all industries and geographical regions within the nation. Primarily, this development would provide an opportunity to restore optimism among Nigerian laborers.
