Mr. Kayode Martins, head of the Oyo State branch of the Nigeria Labour Congress, talks with Daniel Ayantoye about the state’s workers’ protest and other topics.
The current hardships facing Nigerians are immense. How are your members overcoming the obstacles?
Though the government is making some palliative efforts, we are not finding it easy. As an example, one way to mitigate the impact of the elimination of fuel subsidies is to subsidize the cost of transportation by deploying some mass transit buses. Thanks for doing it. At the same time, some other things are still expected, and because living expenses have increased nationally, the minimum wage debate needs to be resolved right away. In a nutshell, it is difficult to deal.
Your state recently participated in a nationwide protest that took place; this is not the first time Nigeria has seen such a protest. What differentiates this one?
They have been instructed to expedite the process given all the actions that the federal and state governments are taking, as well as the committee tasked with developing a new minimum wage. The government shouldn’t be afraid to acknowledge that a higher minimum wage is necessary to reduce hunger.
Were your requests satisfied after the protest?
At the state level, we thank God that issue has been settled amicably. The cause of our protests was understood by the authorities. Some of our requests are being addressed by the administration, and on a national level, the government has paid attention to labor’s demands. Hopefully, some of our requests will be granted.
Poor pay and unremitted deductions were two state problems that sparked the revolt. Tell us more about it.
The government has already compensated for four of the approximately six months of outstanding (deductions) that we had. They guaranteed that the remaining two months’ worth of rent will be paid by the end of August. In addition to other things, they have distributed promotion letters. Every conflict is a win-win for all parties, and this time, we received a higher proportion of what we asked for.
According to reports, a civil servant who disobeyed the NLC orders during the rally was physically assaulted and hurt. Do you consider that to be necessary?
Given that the man has not yet been identified as a coworker, I believe there was a conspiracy in that instance. During the strike, he claimed to have gone inside the secretariat to eat at the cafeteria, but the office was empty. No canteen was therefore opened. A man with a recorder then emerged from concealment. I said to the camera that the song was a ruse and that we wouldn’t dance to it. Given how he was able to enter the secretariat, it was nothing more than a drama.
According to a survey, some state pensioners receive extremely meager pensions. What is the lowest amount and how true is this?
It was a result of one of our protests, and the committee also included seniors. They are developing a superior idea. A proposal was made during the South-West Congress of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners, demanding N40,000 as the minimum wage for all retirees. When we get the chance to interact with the government in Oyo State, we always make sure to represent the interests of the employees and pensioners.
In response to the protest, the state’s commissioner for information and orientation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, claims that the state’s budgetary constraints make it difficult for the state government to fulfill its commitments regarding salaries. What do you think about that?
Since that goes against what we agreed upon with the governor and since he keeps his word, I will take that into consideration. An hour prior, the Commissioner for Information spoke with me, and after our conversation, he went on broadcast and said something different. Therefore, I don’t believe a word he says.
Do you believe that the government has the ability to satiate the needs of its citizens?
The government has invited us to a round table and told us everything. He was serious with us, and he has formed a committee for us to determine the increment we can all agree on based on the income produced by internal revenue generation and federal allotment. We are prepared to do all it takes to improve the state’s many workers while also keeping the interests of all people in mind.
More than 2,000 federal servants, he added, received promotions. What percentage of this is accurate?
Although they claimed to have distributed letters during the conflict, as of the time of my speech, none of our members have received any.
What is the state’s gap in promotion arrears at the time the letters are being sent out?
Those years are 2021, 2022, and 2023. A set of individuals were eligible for promotions in 2021 and another group in 2022. Senior level employees have a three year term, whereas junior level employees have a two year term. We had three fantastic years, and every employee is impacted in some manner. When you have three years of exceptional promotion, it signifies that all of the employees are involved.
What should the minimum salary be for employees and seniors in the current economic climate?
The minimum wage should be a living wage, therefore let’s stop arguing about it. It is quite terrible that Nigerians pay less than those in its neighboring nations. It is not adequate. You can’t believe that in Nigeria we only pay roughly $50 while the minimum wage should be around $400. Senegal and Algeria, two nations in Africa, have paid between $200 and $350.
Do you believe that Nigeria, whose government may not have the necessary resources, is as wealthy as those nations?
We don’t have the capability, but who told you that? Why do you pay your senators more than anybody else in the world? The government therefore lacks the ability to serve the general populace. Is it not from the same treasury that you claim has no money that you will soon start yelling that billions have been stolen? The government should set the proper priorities.
What amount should the minimum wage be, in your opinion?
I comply with public opinion. Nothing less than N200,000 a month, at least for the time being, is required for a family man to survive in Nigeria today, and retirees must also receive a corresponding raise. Because we work in the same market, your pension must be comparable to the pay of your coworker at the same level.
Someone who retired 20 years ago and received compensation based on that time, for instance, shouldn’t receive the same level of compensation in the current climate. That pay level is now worthless due to inflation. The pension must therefore be modified to reflect the current economic situation.
During his last address to the country, President Bola Tinubu made numerous promises, but some people are already dissatisfied with how slowly these promises are being carried out. What are your thoughts on this?
Not for the first time, this. Once defeated, twice shy, so the saying goes. Every time they join the team in that way, you hear them use sugar-coated words to convince us that they want to take important actions that could first hurt you but eventually be beneficial. Thus, the general populace is ultimately to blame. Why are we, the general populace, the target? No one objected to the President withdrawing the fuel subsidy, for example, but he should make the required preparations to lessen the impact of doing so since you don’t kill a fly with a sledgehammer. Even without having nominated anyone, he immediately made the subsidy termination announcement. A few hours later, the GMD of NNPCL stated that the price of gasoline has now increased to N185 to N500, and everything is bouncing on the populace.
Do you believe the commitments made during the speech will be successful?
Providing they are willing to keep their end of the bargain. It certainly will make a difference. As you are aware, however, numerous governments will propose numerous programs and pledges, but the issue arises when it comes to implementation. We sincerely hope everything works out. We don’t oppose the government. We pray that their policies will be successful because we live here.
What do you think about the claim that the NLC has turned into a weak dog?
They frequently bring up the rally from 2012, which had speakers like Lai Mohammed, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, former president Muhammadu Buhari, Festus Keyamo, Tunde Bakare, and others. In a nutshell, the opposition party provided the energy for the 2012 rally. Where is the opposition party today in Nigeria? We confuse things here in Nigeria. We anticipate that labor unions will carry out the opposition’s work. We also discovered that the opposition fuelled the 2012 rally, which is something we don’t allow to happen again. We are a pressure group, not an opposition party, so let the opposition handle its business.
Does the NLC have any other options except striking to express its frustrations, as Labour has been accused of doing?
Only in this region of the world would someone refuse to follow through on their end of a deal unless you went on strike. And nobody holds the government accountable for that. For instance, the issue of compensation increases is a global issue that affects every nation. Prior to taking any action, labor will implement agreements signed by governments and labor unions abroad. In Nigeria, the government has made it abundantly apparent that it would not grant you what is legally due to you until you demonstrate or go on strike. You see us going on strike constantly because of this.
What attributes would you use to describe the ministers-designate?
Not the President, in my opinion. I see it as a chance for people who helped him win the presidential election to get their revenge, but that won’t bode well given the current circumstances. Better hands and individuals with the ability to improve this nation’s fortunes are what we urgently require in order to rescue it from the mess in which we found ourselves. The hope that they will rescue us is an illusion if you surround yourself with the same people who got us into this situation.
Doesn’t what you said indicate that we have problems in this country?
You appear to be speaking now. The reality is that we must simply be resilient; do not interpret this as a dire prophecy. Most of them have one or more questions to address, and I don’t anticipate any positive developments on their end.
What additional benefits would a rise in worker pay bring to the nation’s economy?
Any monthly salary payments that are made have an indirect effect on the market, and if the government withholds a wage, the market and economy are affected. Don’t mind the workers, are they the only ones? is one lie the government occasionally tells the populace. Paying the employees will have an effect on the artisans and market women. Raising the minimum wage is the main strategy for assisting the masses because it indirectly stimulates the economy. Whatever the government decides to implement, if it does not reduce the suffering of the people, it is a waste of time and money. The government is present because people are suffering. We instructed them to keep the refineries running. Let’s have the smaller refineries if the larger ones can’t be had. If someone like you has the necessary permits and licenses, perhaps you might produce 100 liters and benefit your neighborhood. But because the government profits from these problems, they merely fiddle with them. Many of them have oil blocks and are only acting amiable with people while in reality they are not. They are the true state’s adversaries.
To stabilize the naira, the NNPCL just acquired a $3 billion repayment loan, as we recently learned. What are your thoughts about it?
We hope everything goes as planned and as they led us to expect, but the extent of corruption in this nation has always made it impossible to have faith in Nigerian officials, who are not serious when it comes to handling money. We kindly request that the administration take all necessary steps to rapidly ease the suffering of the people. It’s already gotten out of control. If Nigerians weren’t so patient, what happened in other nations wouldn’t have been as bad. You shouldn’t take Nigerians for granted.
Why do you think it is challenging for the governor to grant local government autonomy in relation to this issue?
A better society is impossible if we prevent the three levels of government from functioning independently. The LG system is the most accessible to the public. The state government’s principal duty is to monitor them, not to take over their activities. How can you claim that you are handling their business since the local government leaders lack the necessary skills? If you are confident in your ability to lead the local government, resign as governor and run for chairman instead. You pursue them and have them prosecuted if they (local government chairmen) misuse the monies.
