The Director General, Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, MINILS, in Ilorin, Kwara State, Issa Aremu, has criticised Kogi State government for using extra-judicial means to clamp down on Dangote Cement factory at Obajana, instead of seeking redress in law court.
“Consequently, he called for cessation of hostility between the two warring parties, particularly because of the massive employment the cement factory had generated for residents of the state.
Aremu observed that the alleged closure of the cement factory had severe implication for the company, which he described as one of the largest employers of labour.
Aremu stated this in an interview with journalists in Ilorin weekend, in commemoration of Decent Work Day earmarked by International Labour Organization, ILO, themed “Wage Justice”.
It would be recalled that some armed men, under the auspices of Vigilante group in Kogi State, had invaded Obajana Cement plant over alleged non-payment of taxes to the coffers of Kogi State government, injured some workers and eventually closed down the plant.“The MINILS boss believed that the claim over ‘decent work’ was a ruse without work in existence for prospective employees.
Aremu, who urged the Kogi State government to encourage industrialization in the state, called for amicable resolution of the misunderstanding that culminated in the closure of the cement factory.
He said: “Let me say that corporate organizations have the responsibility to pay their taxes but if you are found wanting for whatever reason, we should resort to legal and due process for the payment of those taxes and not to be using extra-judicial measures as reportedly used now in Kogi State to shutdown business plant.
“I think it is important that we do everything to encourage those who are creating jobs, and not to discourage them.
“You can’t even talk of decent work without work first because it is only work that is in existence you can make decent. But let me quickly express my concern and worry because I just read that last Wednesday, the Vigilante group of Kogi State allegedly stormed Obajana Cement Factory and from what I read, they wounded some of the workers.”
Obajana Cement is one of the biggest cement factory in Africa, owned by Dangote. I read that the problem is over alleged non-payment of some taxes to the state government. “”So, I want to call for cessation of hostility between Kogi State government and Dangote group. But unequivocally, the method being allegedly used is unacceptable. At a time we are re-industrializing, the best we can do is to encourage big industrializers, such as Dangote,” he said.“While expressing concern over the thousands of workers who are daily pushed into wage poverty globally, the MINILS Director General appealed to the government and employers of labour to increase employment opportunities for jobless youth.“Aremu, who applauded President Muhammadu Buhari for promoting decent work and pay for the nation’s public servants, said: “Interestingly, the theme for this year is wage justice. The idea of justice for wage earners is that workers should be well paid.
”There is a new statistics that has just come out that after COVID-19, the world has produced close to 573 new billionaires, yet millions of people have been pushed into poverty. As a matter of fact, about 700,000 workers are pushed into wage poverty almost everyday, while the world is turning out billionaires. So, this theme is very apt that there should be justice for the workers.“”I want to call on government and employers of labour to work towards increasing job opportunities for teeming youth who are looking for jobs. The way to do this is to encourage industrialization, promote value addition. We have to stop importation of goods that we can produce locally. Everytime we buy not made in Nigeria, we are actually exporting jobs.“”I want to commend Mr President for signing executive order 003, which says that in our procurement process, public agencies should patronize made in Nigeria.”“Aremu also said it was within the right of the federal government to register two other unions in the university system to join ASUU, particularly as that their applications had been pending for about ten years now.“He, however, cautioned ASUU against the excessive prolong of the strike, citing how the former Prime Minister of UK, Margaret Thatcher, broke the stronghold of the Mines union,which was the world’s strongest at that time. “He said: “You asked me about the registration of two other unions within the universities. First, my quick reaction to that is that convention 87 of the ILO which talks of freedom of association is very fundamental, Nigeria has ratified that, what the federal government did is to allow for freedom of other workers who want to freely associate.“”If you go to the office of the Registrar of Trade Union, there are many workers or group of workers who have applied for registration, so I think for me that is far more remarkable. What would have been a difficult issue is to say that a union has been proscribed .
”We have not seen that, they only allow for more freedom of association to allow for new entrant and you know it is nothing new.“”Before we use to have a monopoly labour center, known as the Nigeria Labour Congress, but later on TUC was allowed to be another labour center, you know, so I think when you talk about the core principles of descent work, it’s legitimate.
”Of course, we can also discuss why now? Is it because it is an attempt to undermine the struggle of ASUU? Again, this is academic, we can debate that I don’t know what your opinions are and what mine looks like but we must also check the records, and from what I heard from the Minister of Labour, he said as far back as five, ten years ago, this group of academicians have been looking for recognition based on their demand of their own association, so we can debate it.“”But what time is ripe, I am not sure, but again if you look at history, President Obasanjo registered TUC when he realized that NLC was giving his administration what he called unnecessary trouble, so he thought if he had a different labour center may be NLC will be moderated,we can debate it now, whether that has moderated labour over the years.
”But what is clear is that in the world of work, absolute power corrupts absolutely, I want to repeat that absolute power of employer will corrupt absolutely, just also absolute power of the union, so what is important is relative power and I think this development in the universities should be a source of sober reflection for all the parties to know that we can have a stable industrial relations if we operate in proportions.“”I am a strong believer and it is there in our labour laws, workers have the right to protect their interest through legitimate means, that include strike, protest but whatever option you have taken are not the end, they are just the means.“”Once we use strike opium in a way that it becomes a source of threat, not just to even your employer but even to some of your members, because whether you like it or not, some of these academicians who have been recognised are also part of the university community.“”I think something is wrong about the method we are using ,’you know I am caught in between. We should never opinionise industrial dispute, we should not opinionise, whether on the part of government or on the part of the union, we should see industrial dispute for what they are, temporary conflict that can be resolved through negotiation, through discussions.
”Whatever option we take should be things that can lead to sustainable industrial harmony. I want to share this with my ASUU comrades that addictive, endless strike you can do it but it has its consequences, and it is not just here.
”You know the Mine workers union in the UK, led by Arthur Kaddy and some of the most militant unions to have come from UK, Mine workers union when UK was under Margret Thatcher’s government.
”It employed hundreds of thousands of workers, very big industry, they wanted to go on strike, Thatcher said they should come to the negotiation table, they said no. Tthat strike lasted close to two years, Thatcher stood her ground, she close the mining pits, and instead of using coal from UK, she was importing coal from South Africa and Poland.
”Today, there is nothing like Mine workers union again in UK, so what I am trying to say is that once absolute power may get absolute response from the government, industrial court has asked ASUU to suspend strike but ASUU said they are appealing.
”What I am saying is that let’s deploy methods that will not lead to the fragmentation of the labour union.“”How do you negotiate with people that you have already condemned; what I want to say is that this is Industrial conflict, not industrial war fare.”
