NEWS came through on Sunday that organized Labour is doing “anticipatory mobilization”, for all its state affiliates to go on strike, should its talk with the Federal Government, slated for October 15, break down.
The Nation of October 13, quoting an “Agency Reporter”, reported that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in a circular Emmanuel Ugboaja, its general secretary signed, asked its state branches to go on a nationwide strike from October 16, should the October 15 talks collapse.
Yeah, the circular quoted a joint communique, by three Labour centres, giving some earlier notice. Yet, the loudly quiet threat of blackmail was unmistakable — give in to our way, or else! Talk about gun-boat collective bargaining, and bad faith of the crudest crust! Couldn’t Labour have been more optimistic before threatening a strike?
Still, it would appear Labour languishes in its lack of institutional memory. Had it been otherwise, it should have realized it had traversed this barren path too many times before: declare a take-it-or-leave-it strike, put a virtual gun to the government’s head, extract an unworkable deal and declare a pyrrhic victory! A few months down the line, however, the merriment turns ashen — there is just no cash to pay the expected windfall!
Besides, what is that English saying about being wary of the Greek and his gift? This threatened strike isn’t about the minimum wage per se. That one is settled, with a law okaying N30, 000 per worker.
It is rather about the consequential adjustments across the board, not for the lowest paid worker but for others from salary Grade Level 07 to 17. Labour wants 29% increase for the GL 07-14 bracket (to the Federal Government’s offer of 11 %); and 24 % for GL 15-17 (to the government’s 6.5 %).
Well, Labour will have none of such nonsense as where the government would get the funds to pay, especially in states already labouring to pay workers. In their rippling patriotism, and ardent love for worst paid workers, they don’t even “give a damn” (to quote President Goodluck Jonathan in his presidential ribaldry days), if the polity heads for another salary payment crisis.
But did Hardball say “worst paid workers”? Well, that’s the news and that’s where the Labour Greek comes bearing his gift. You would have thought all the excitement was on behalf of the least paid. But o no! It is more about consequential salary adjustments, for the comparably not-so-poorly-paid. Indeed, patriotism is the last bastion of the scoundrel!
Labour screams “minimum wage”. But behind that, it tries to spin a general salary review. Still, it doesn’t ask itself where the cash would come from, without recourse to productivity, especially in an economy trying to find its feet. When Dr. Chris Ngige, the Labour and Employment minister, talked of the Federal Government opening its books to all, Labour sneered at that arrant nonsense. Get the cash — or else!
The government should get Labour the best deal practicable under the present circumstances. But Labour too should stop belabouring old habits of extracting unimplementable salary increases that often end as useless paper works, dispensing agonies to primed up workers, who suddenly find out the promised salary el dorado is nothing but a cruel mirage.
Let both sides get down to serious but honest negotiations. Labour can’t pretend to wielding the strike machine gun at the negotiation table and still kids itself it does collective bargaining. Labour, it’s time to get serious and play less to the populist gallery.