Democracy
By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal
Ilorin, June 12, 2024 (NAN) Mr Issa Aremu, the Director General of Michael Imoudu National Institute of Labour Studies (MINILS), on Wednesday, advised government to execute a new social pact with Organised Labour for sustainable democracy.
Aremu, who stated this while speaking on the importance of Democracy day in Ilorin, scored President Ahmed Tinubu high on trade union rights.
He said that the Tinubu administration had upheld the rights of organised labour to freely organise and bargain collectively.
“Notwithstanding the policy contestations that have trailed reforms resulting in national strikes in some instances, the administration has commendably respected the provisions of ILO conventions with respect to freedom of associations and assembly.
“This is without intimidation of the trade unions in the face of avoidable and preventable national strikes,” Aremu said.
According to him, no labour leader has been arrested or threatened, instead, the labour leadership was invited to break bread and negotiate toward a good-faith resolution.
“Reasoned discussion and principled compromise are hallmarks of democracy,” he said.
The Director General said 25 years of democratic governance had “consolidated work place democracy through free trade union activities that have produced three national minimum wages since 1999.
“These negotiations were denied in military dictatorships,” he added
Aremu, a former Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC),+! lauded organised labour, employers of labour and the Federal government for negotiating in good faith on the 6th national minimum wage.
“We expect the executive bill to the National Assembly on the new minimum pay.”
He added that all labour market actors must work to deepen democracy.
“It is time for governments at all levels to complement political democracy with economic democracy that would create sustainable decent jobs, lower inflation, stabilised Naira and eradicate wage income poverty,” said Aremu.
He, therefore urged government at all levels to involve as a matter of right labour in policy formulation and policy implementation. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
FATY/EOB/AOS
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Edited by Edith Bolokor/Bayo Sekoni
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