Lagos Workers celebrate May Day

The workers who were representatives of their various unions were seen matching across the field of the arena.

The theme for the 2022 workers’ day in Nigeria is:  ‘’Labour Politics and the Quest for Good Governance and Development in Nigeria’’.

Speaking at the event, the Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Lagos State Council, Mr Gbenga Ekundayo, said the theme of the 2022 May day was apt in view of the fact that Nigeria would be heading to the 2023 polls.

According to him, the elections give everybody including workers, the opportunity to reassess and reappraise their choices.

‘’One fact is the significant role played by labour in the enthronement of its democratic government; therefore, labour as a critical stakeholder will continue to play an important role in the shaping of our democratic governance in Nigeria.”

‘’TUC has set up a political commission at this time to see to it that workers are involved in the process of democracy and the electioneering process that determines who gets into office.”

‘’To that extent, at the appropriate time, we shall be calling on all our members to come out en mass, be properly and adequately involved in the process.”

‘’The day of sitting by is over and we must be involved, stand to be counted and be part of the process so that we do not come back to react, but we can be proactive in determining our future, ‘’ he said.

Ekundayo, who expressed concerns over the plight of students and the striking lecturers in the federal tertiary institutions, urged stakeholders to appeal to the Federal Government to resolve the issues.

‘’We draw our attention to the plight of our tertiary institutions; we stand in solidarity with the students and lecturers at this critical time. These are the institutions that train our young ones and prepare the future that we hope to enjoy.”

‘’We call on all stakeholders to appeal to the government to resolve the issues around the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and adequately fund the tertiary institutions. We must keep our youths productively engaged and unavailable for undesired activities, ‘’ he said.

Also, the Chairman, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Lagos State Council, Mrs Funmi Sessi, expressed gratitude to the state governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu for implementing the N35,000 minimum wage in the state.

Sessi, however, said that the poor economic situation and negative impact of the COVID19 had eroded the new wage.

‘’The catalogue of worsening economic conditions; hike in transportation fare; skyrocketing prices of goods, especially food items; high cost of living; increased rents have shortened our initial euphoria and totally eroded the gains of the minimum wage.”

‘’We will like to have a parley on ways to cushion the effect of these adverse economic conditions, especially for workers, who are unable most of the time,  to live up to the expectations of their responsibilities.”