May Day: Labour, FG should be committed to industrial harmony — Aremu
By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal
Ilorin – Mr Issa Aremu, the Director General of the Michael Imoudu National Institute of Labour Studies, (MINILS) Ilorin, has advised both organized Labour and the Federal Government to be committed towards industrial relations.
Aremu stated this in Ilorin during the Annual 2024 pre-May Day news briefing themed: “Celebrating May Day in Renewed Hope”.
He stated that as the nation prepare for 2024 May Day celebrations nation-wide, organized labour and President Bola Tinubu led-administration must maintain relative industrial peace in the wake of daunting current economic challenges.
He observed that labour / government relations is always characterized by “policy contestation and policy accommodation”.
According to him, the twin policy of inevitable fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange market reforms had engendered inflation, currency devaluation, high cost of living, which has challenged industrial relations more than ever before .
The Director General, however, said adherence in the past one year by all stakeholders to the principle of collective bargaining and social dialogue in the past one year has “commendably minimized avoidable work-stoppages, strikes and lockouts.
He added that both the government and the unions in the future should deepen engagement for mutual maximum benefits of the on going reform agenda.
Aremu described the 15-point Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between organized Labour and government following the removal of fuel subsidy “as a model framework for managing industrial relations at times of economic crisis”.
He commended the Federal Government wage award of N35,000, pending a new national minimum wage and the suspension of collection of Value Added Tax (VAT) on Diesel for six months.
He added that N100 billion for the provision of high capacity CNG buses for mass transit , as well as the inauguration of an inclusive 37-member tripartite National Minimum wage committee is laudable.
Aremu charge all parties to henceforth abide by the dictates of Social dialogue in all our future engagements.
Speaking on the historical significance of observance of May Day celebration in a democracy, Aremu recalled that it was democratic dispensation of late governors; Abubakar Rimi and Balarebe Musa and late President Shehu Shagari that declared 1st May public holiday in 1981 following Nigeria Labour Congress demand.
He observed that organized labour has a stake in sustaining the nation’s democracy, adding that the citizens are better off in a democratic governance than any other system of government.
“Democracy guarantees freedom of association and dialogue unlike during the military administrations which once arbitrarily dissolved leadership of NLC for advocating rights of its members.
“There can only be negotiation, social dialogue in a democratic atmosphere and we are making the 44th anniversary of May Day in Nigeria. But if you look at records, this couldn’t have been possible without democracy.
“The two occasions that we couldn’t have May Day celebrated were under military when the military dissolved the NLC. So, the lesson of this is that organized labour has stake in sustaining democratic process because we are better off in a democracy,” he said.
Aremu observed that the president has made the point that reforms are inevitable; and they will take place.
The D-G, therefore, advised both parties to let the outcome of any reform be beneficial to all, and not be adversary.
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