The Nigerian government and employers of labour in the private sector have been urged to throw in sufficient weight to make the ‘ load of frontline workers in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic lighter’.
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC Ayuba Wabba, made the call in Abuja on Tuesday, during a media briefing to mark the 2020 International Workers’ Memorial Day celebration.
Wabba used the occasion to urge employers of labour to show solidarity with workers by ensuring wage protection, income support and social inclusion especially at these trying times of COVID-19, stressing that this is not the time to stop or deduct income from salaries of workers.
In his words; “In reciprocation of the enormous sacrifice made by workers, we urge employers of labour to show solidarity with the sacrifice of our workers and people by ensuring wage protection, income support and social inclusion at these trying times.
“This is not the time to stop or deduct from workers’ salaries. Such an action would be both illogical and illegal as workers’ salaries are core elements of employment contracts and collective bargaining agreements.
“We have asked our affiliates and State councils to resist any salary deduction on the account of Covid-19”, he said.
The NLC President reassured workers that the priority of the NLC in these trying times remains the cautious, gradual, evidence-led and smart restart of the economy so that they can go back to work.
Wabba said that the Congress was committed to the recovery of lost jobs, protection of wages, support for income and livelihood and improvement of Nigeria’s social safety net.
“As we prepare to restart our economy, we call on the leadership of our industrial unions and State Councils to continue working with the different cadres of workers’ leadership in the States and unions to ensure that health and safety facilities and guidelines such as running water, soaps, hand sanitizers, use of protective masks and social distancing are made available and enforced at different workplaces”, Wabba said.
“We also wish to use this commemoration to ask government and employers in the private sector to throw in sufficient weight to make the load of our frontline workers easier.
“We demand sufficient personal protection equipment, hand sanitizers, functional wash rooms, suitable rest rooms and other facilities to make the work of our brave warriors on the health frontline less herculean than it already is”.
Comrade Wabba stated that health workers and other frontline workers are not on a suicide mission rather they only want to save lives. According to him, the least government and employers can do is to help them keep their lives so that they can go on saving other lives.
The theme of this year’s commemoration of the International Workers’ Memorial Day is “Stop the Pandemic at Work”.
The Labour president believes this is significant coming at the epoch of the global fight against the novel corona virus disease or COVID-19.
He emphasized that the contribution of frontline workers especially healthcare workers has become the only buffer between what he described as deaths in thousands and deaths in millions.
“On a day like this, we salute the uncommon love, faith, courage, and sacrifice by frontline workers who have given more than what the call of duty demands to give hope to humanity.
“We will forever remain indebted to thousands of our healthcare workers, transport workers, utility employees, Journalists and even workers in the informal sector who have continued to show up at their duty posts despite the threat of death, dearth of working tools and paucity of gratitude.
“We condole with the families of workers who have paid the supreme sacrifice in the fight against COVID-19. We assure you that their labour will not be in vain. Their unquantifiable sacrifice will never be forgotten”, Ayuba Wabba stressed
The Nigeria Labour Congress also commended the Federal government for the insurance cover and enhanced incentives provided for frontline health workers and called on State governments to follow this example.
“We also commend the Sokoto State government for leading the way in this regard. We wish to stress that this gesture of support incentives should be equally bestowed on all health workers as members of one team fighting one deadly biological enemy”.
The International Workers’ Memorial Day or the Workers’ Mourning Day is celebrated in the memory of workers who had paid the supreme sacrifice in the course of their duties as workers or as activists fighting for the rights and interests of the working class.
It is also a day to remember workers who had lost some limb, suffered injury and other forms of severe loss while at their work places.
By Titi B