*Says high unemployment contributes to cheap, exploited workers in Nigeria
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
A Professor of Industrial Sociology
at the University of Ibadan, Prof Emeka Okafor has advocated enforcement of labour standards and regulations in Nigeria by the Federal Government
Presenting the University of Ibadan 562nd inaugural lecture entitled “The Periphery Of The Periphery”: Exploring The Experiences Of Non-Standard Workers, Prof Okafor disclosed that the enforcement became necessary to protect workers’ rights in Nigeria
According to the University Don,the high unemployment rates in Nigeria have contributed to the emergence of the cheap and surplus labour across various sectors
The Professor of Industrial Sociology noted that non-standard workers such as casual workers, “due to their fluid and precarious employment status, find themselves being marginalized and exploited by the employers, the supervisors and the regular workers in the organisational setting, especially if we consider (work) organisation as a system where multiple actors operate”
According to Prof Okafor, because casual workers or non-standard workers are not able to unionize, they face grievous and precarious working conditions in Nigeria and urged federal and state governments in Nigeria to rise and enforce labour laws to protect exploitation of casual workers in Nigeria
“ With the non-standard workers not being able to join trade unions, they may not be able to effectively negotiate with employers for better working conditions, including better pay. They may also not be in a position to access or secure other rights”, he said.
Prof Okafor added, “Therefore, decent work, as advocated by ILO, may be an ideal, but in practice, it has remained a mockery and a mirage for most workers in non-standard employment relations.”
The University Don stressed that to
right the wrongs, there is the need for Nigeria governments as the largest single employer of labour to ensure that “labour standards and regulations to protect workers’ rights and ensure decent work are enforced”
According to him, “regularizing non-standard workers in government ministries, departments, agencies, and parastatals who are due for such because imperative in order to provide them with stable employment and career advancement opportunities as a way of showing good examples to other stakeholders.”
He stressed that it is important that government needs to creatively provide job opportunities and reforms aimed at revitalizing the economy and attracting investments and “strengthening labour inspection mechanisms to enforce compliance with safety standards and provide adequate and timely compensation for workplace injuries and fatalities.”
Prof Okafor urged the Ministry of Labour and Employment to safeguard workers’ rights and ensure occupational safety by enforcing labour laws and regulations to protect non-standard workers from exploitation and unsafe working conditions; conducting regular inspections of workplaces to identify and address violations of safety standards among others.
He then charged Labour unions on their part must pressurize employers to regularize non-standard workers and improve their working conditions through collective bargaining agreements
