Why Labour’s Demand For Over N650k Minimum Wage is Within The Law - Fola, NUPPROW Gen-Sec

Comrade Olatunji Joseph Fola, is the General- Secretary, of the National Union of Printing, Publishing and Paper Product Workers (NUPPPROW). He is a Chartered accountant, a Fellow of CIM, and a top-notch performer in industrial relations. In this interview with Benedicta Bassey, he spoke on the recent minimum wage demands and charts the way forward for the government and the Labour sector to give their best.  Excerpt:

What impact could a substantial increase in the minimum wage, like the 600,000 proposed by the NLC have on the Nigerian economy?
With the proposed amount on the Nigerian economy; we are within the inflationary period presently which has posed a negative effect on the economy and birth forth unemployment. In Nigeria, our wages are not enough hence the need for the minimum wage demand. We wouldn't have had a problem in the sector if the government was proactive enough and if they worked out well with the policies that have become so inconsistent.

If government policies are consistent even this inflation will not be a problem for anybody. We have people retiring and there’s no employment. And every day, the poor people live in that sector. There is no chance for the government to engage anybody.

How do the labour unions justify the proposed minimum wage increase amidst economic challenges like inflation and unemployment?

I think that in our private sector if a worker is not adequately paid, how is that worker putting in his best? In the contents of the inflation we are talking about now, we have some people in the private sector whose take-home pay is not up to N50,000.  Are we not going to the same market? Look at the price of rice, petroleum scarcity, and removal of subsidy, how do the workers in the private sector give their best? The proposed minimum wage is supposed to boost productivity but as it is now, how does it work within the economy if the minimum wage does not come up?  And then the purchasing power of an average Nigerian worker is determined by what he takes home. This is what makes it so hard. A young person coming up with a wife, maybe with one or two kids, is the same market for the rich and poor and when we think about the implications of our demands, both positive and negative, we can prove with the two sides that we are justified to say let us have this amount, if not more than that.

What strategies does the labour union congress plan to employ to negotiate with the federal government regarding the proposed minimum wage?

You see, our justification is nothing but within the scope of the law. What justification do we have? Section 40 of the 1999 constitution as amended as well as the conventions for the freedom of association and collective bargaining, it gives us the room to speak to the government and discuss whatever is in the nation and the amount an average Nigerian worker ought to take home.

So it's under this provision of this law, on this collective bargaining, that the labour union discusses with the federal government. It's not that we just sit down one day and just think, okay, what do we do? So whatever we want to do, it’s within the law itself and its policy.
Even though the government tries as much as possible to avoid our leader in long-term matters, in labour, our leadership and executive, do everything within the ambient provision of the enabling laws to discuss the issue.

Could you elaborate on the specific challenges faced by workers in Nigeria's informal sector and how labour unions are addressing these issues?

Currently, the informal sector is struggling. What do they rely on? Their thinking cap is what to eat and what to take home to feed their family. Then when the real workers in the informal sector are not doing well, they tend to struggle and manage.

In those days, you will see an average Nigerian worker, who must have used furniture for five years, decide to give it out and make another set of chairs but today, I have a friend, the chairs he used as a bachelor, are what he’s still using now with the family and children. Everybody is struggling to meet up without the enabling environment. It is not good and that’s what labour is trying to do now, even in the formal sector, it will go down to them.

So, if the real Nigerian workers and the formal sector don't have a standard minimum wage, everything here cannot be under anybody's control. And especially the formal sector will continue to survive at the expense of the former sector that gives money to them at their own expense.

So, you know, what the leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress continue to say is, let us discuss a living wage, so that it now cuts across to every sector of the economy.

We cannot say because we are afraid to die, then we won't go to bed and close our eyes. Whether we like it or not, when death comes, whether I open my eyes or you close it, death will come.

So, there should be no fear, no justification for somebody to be living in abject poverty in the presence of people within the politician, within the political circle, not being afraid of inflation to buy bulletproof cars with those amount of millions.

So, there is a justification for what Labour is trying to do because it will cut across both the formal the informal sectors.

How has the exchange rate impacted the labour movement in Nigeria, particularly in terms of workers' protection and job security?

Before we say the impact of labour the movement, we should ask what brings about the situation in which we find ourselves. For example, I’m a Nigerian and I listen very well to politicians when they say there is a solution within their campaign slogans, but unfortunately, when they get to office, it becomes the other side of it.

How will the country’s economy, respond to this? when she is not producing anything. I was in this country in the 80s. I know the exchange rate between the dollar and the naira. Those days, when you go to Ikeja, when workers will close from work, from the beginning of Obanikoro to the end, we will see the mass movement of workers that closed in their various industries because they are producing and we are supporting. Then we can determine the currency rate. Suddenly, we became a consuming nation. How do we know a naira and a dollar will match? It cannot, these are realities. Our forefathers have done extremely well providing for people. But unfortunately, people will eat, and eat everything until it close down. When a company doesn't have electricity, how is it going to produce? The next thing you will hear, this company has moved to Ghana or any of the neighbouring countries where it can produce with the right economy to strive. What do we do? We are not producing anything.

When this regime campaigned, they said that at least one refinery would start working before December. We are in May, how many of the refineries are working?  None.

The crude oil we produce here, we move abroad to refine it. When the refining process is done, they will discuss the rate and the rate we are going to exchange our goods and services will be based on their policy and that will directly affect our currency here. As long as there is inconsistent policy of the government, the naira will not find its feet in the open market.

What are some alternative solutions or compromises that could be explored to ensure fair wages for workers while balancing economic constraints?

If the government removes the inconsistent policy it will be easier to have an alternative solution. Growing up, the issue of minimum wage before you closes or opens your eyes; minimum wage is already in place. Nobody drags it. Why because the consistency of the government is there.

Government policy must be consistent, we must have an enabling environment, for people to talk freely and negotiate without any constraints. The economy must be able to have a shape, that's why everybody is bending their neck, and because of this situation, we are finding it difficult economically. So the solutions to explore to ensure fair wages for workers, in this economy, if the economy itself is not okay which is the bone of contention , how will the alternative solution even work? What do we have as an alternative, when everybody is just trying to survive? Government should be proactive, not just the government; the politicians must come to know that nothing is permanent in life.

What can the government do to ensure job creation, skills development and social welfare for Nigerians?

If we talk about this discussion, I will just capture it this way, to promise what is impossible is to deceive the world.

Government should not promise what they cannot do. Because if you promise you are going to do this, you are going to do that, and you are unable to do them. What does it look like? especially, when we are talking about the so-called employment. I am from Ekiti State. Now, I want to just make small things concerning my state, because I happened to be in a meeting some time ago, and I raised this issue.

What do we do in Ekiti State? We don't have oil. When I was growing up, our fathers and grandfathers were farmers are peasant farmers. What did they produce? They produced cocoa, coffee, yam, cassava, and so on. And the state was doing very well. Even under the western region, that was when the late Chief Obafemi  Awolowo was the premier., I think. Now, there was employment at that time, because everything was working within the government's policy.

I remember the days when I visited the King's Way Ibadan. Those are things that are being run by the government of that period. Now, to talk about employment and the situation we find ourselves in now, the politicians will come, and gather their members when they are campaigning. Everybody will campaign for them. Do you know what they do immediately after the results? At the end of the month, you see them probably sending maybe 10,000, 20,000 to their members every month. Now, we have a vast land that we can use to farm. Do you know the governments have spoiled this generation now to the extent that they want everything free? Free things! Nobody is ready to do anything. Now, what does it take in my state to divide the state into four sections? In this section, this size, the soil can grow cassava very well and build up a mechanized system of farming. Those who are sending 5,000 or 10,000, why can't you put them under the Ministry of Agriculture? Then you train them mechanically for them to farm and deliver. One, they will be receiving a salary. They will be working, having the intention that one day they will become pensioners. This means, at least there will be hope that I'm going to work with this government for 30 or 35 years, but those people are not doing any work, that they can receive some token. And people are not thinking, because everybody is becoming very lazy. So how can such a state create employment? You only rely on politicians.

And how many people? Okay, like, maybe you have a councillor in your ward. Maybe it happens that you have the local government chairman in the same work. You may not have more than that. And you want these two people that represent you to satisfy everybody. Not that this one will wake up and go to work. So how does the government create employment? Now, if you look at that side of the matter, you must have heard of Ajaokuta Steel Company, they kept telling us, "It is about 90 something per cent, point to finish. Since the Shagari regime, up to now we are talking, we have not opened that place, nor did they produce anything. But when you talk about how millions of dollars have been sunk into that place, and the employment that place could have generated.

If we are saying there is no employment, for God's sake, how will the government generate this employment, when the like of Ajaokuta is not working? Where is the employment going to come from? If there is no employment, why are we saying this? Policy will be an issue.

Even those who try very hard to say, I want to be educated, you see some young people now, they don't even want to go to school. Because they will tell you, people that went to school, what did they do? People, because lack of that education, will make somebody think, even if I say so, look at kidnapping that will become PSC now? They kidnap somebody and demand even 100 million. A member of a family who doesn't want their person to die in their nest will start to negotiate, and at the end of the day, it will be paid.

Is that not employment in that sector? If the government has been proactive in everything they have wanted to do, on the policy in place to create employment, and security this will not be an issue.

You travel on a night bus, nobody says anything. We are a lot more afraid now.

The government should be serious when we are talking about unemployment. You may not employ 100 million today, start from somewhere. If the three tiers of government, which are the local government, the state government and the federal, if we go to local government, they are not doing anything. It is not their fault. Everybody will just wait for allocation. Then they wait for their salary. Is the government giving them anything?  We talk about unemployment and security. One is the solution to the other. That is the truth. So, without employment, how will the security be guaranteed? It is going to be difficult. So, the solution is that government should wake up to its responsibilities with consistent policies that will bring about employment.

If you are abroad, let me say you are in the UK now, you have £1,000. By the time you exchange it with the Naira, you don't know how much that will be. So, because of this unemployment, everybody starts moving. The one that worries me is the health sector. Because if this is not addressed, there are issues. I was listening to a news summary the other day, where they say a quack doctor wants to deliver a pregnant woman. And in the process, the woman died. That is the challenge now. A lot of mortality rate because more and more patients are looking for a cheaper cost and eventually put their life at risk. This is the situation.


We have the NLC and the TUC. So, each is trying to get the government's attention on policy matters. My question is, isn't that creating confusion for the government?
Well, it depends on the angle we are looking at it. It's supposed not to have any confusion. That's because we politicize issues in Nigeria. The TUC, they are majorly the senior staff  While the NLC belongs to the people in the oil sector. That's why you can have Nupeng and Pengaki in that group.

One belongs to the junior class while the other one belongs to the senior class. It's supposed not to have any confusion with the government. You can only have this confusion especially when a public discussion like this on a national issue is in place. Then you have a lot of things to talk about from both sides. And I want to beg the media to help the situation so that if we don't look at it, there is confusion.

It's not supposed to be any confusion in the minimum wage or any national discourse no matter how you look at it because both sides of the coin have their representatives. And what are we after? We are after the same cause. We are discussing the same subject matter. It is the issue of our reaction when every authority that's supposed to have been put in place is already put in place. Then what else will we do? Let's go on strike or let's do whatever. Let's withdraw our tariff. Then if you look you will now find out that there will be politicking and making the public to think they have rift or that the  TUC and the NLC  are not on the same page.
I want to tell you that on both sides of this coin we, are together because Nigerian worker is Nigerian worker. We are one. Even the TUC and the NLC they still have their unions. The NLC will chose its leader headed by its president. So there is no confusion when it comes to politics.