{"id":49147,"date":"2026-04-30T03:21:51","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T03:21:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.imotrumpeta.com\/?p=49147"},"modified":"2026-04-30T03:21:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T03:21:51","slug":"2026-workers-day-plights-of-serving-and-retired-workers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.imotrumpeta.com\/?p=49147","title":{"rendered":"2026 Workers’ Day : Plights of Serving And Retired Workers."},"content":{"rendered":"

2026 Workers’ Day : Plights of Serving And Retired Workers.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

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By Donatus Ihejirika<\/p>\n

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During the colonial era, majority of Nigerian workers were enslaved, mistreated and misrepresented. They performed their duties under excruciating, horrible and pitiable conditions. The alien workers treated their Nigerian counterparts with disdain and utter humiliation without regard for their skills and educational attainment.<\/p>\n

Not until 1938 when the Trade Union Act was enacted, Nigerian workers lacked the legal protection to challenge their exploitation, social injustice, discrimination and marginalization. With the enactment of the Trade Union Act, workers whose appointments were regularized started demanding for their rights at work places. Like prominent journalists and nationalists then, veteran unionists played significant roles in the struggle for attainment of Nigeria’s independence through organization of protests, lockouts, strike actions and peaceful demonstrations against anti-labour policies.<\/p>\n

The Federal Government strengthened labour movement in Nigeria through the promulgation of Trade Union Amendment Degree number twenty of 1978. Section eleven sub section one of the degree excluded the Armed Forces ( Army, Air Force and Navy ), Nigeria Police Force, Customs and Correctional Services, Telecom Companies, Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian Printing and Minting Company and minors below sixteen years from forming or joining trade unions. The government also restructured and reduced the number of registered trade unions for effective management.<\/p>\n

The Workers’ Day popularly known and called International Solidarity of Workers was first celebrated in Nigeria in May 1981 during the administration of Alhaji Shehu Shagari. The celebration followed Nigeria’s admission into membership of International Labour Organization. Since then, Workers’ Day is celebrated every May first with different themes to commemorate the dastardly massacre of German and Polish workers at Heymarket Square, Chicago on May 1,1886 by American Police.This followed the detonation of a bomb that killed seven policemen during a protest against poor conditions of<\/p>\n

service. Equally remembered on May first every year are the deceased coal miners who were gruesomely murdered by colonial police at Iva-Valley in Enugu State in 1949 while demonstrating against draconian and obnoxious anti-labour policies and programmes.<\/p>\n

Workers’ Day is significant in various ways to the workers and governments. It is observed as a day of sober reflection and prayers for repose of the souls of deceased workers and veteran labour leaders whose invaluable contributions and sacrifices saved today’s workers from outrageous work hours and deplorable conditions of service. The day which features parades, rallies, presentation of addresses on labour -related issues and celebrations affords serving workers the opportunity to reflect on their contributions to the growth and development of Nigeria’s economy.To senior citizens, the occasion serves as an opportunity to thank God for successful disengagement from service which is a manifestation of divine grace, favour and reward for extraordinary upright life. The senior citizens use the occasion to appeal to the Federal and State Governments to pay their pensions and gratuities, harmonize their pensions and improve their living conditions. To governments and employers of labour at all levels, the day is declared work-free to celebrate workers in appreciation of their outstanding contributions and sacrifices as partners in nation-building.<\/p>\n

Recall that between 1984 and 1998, the military government promulgated decree number nine and ten which proscribed the National Executive Council of Nigeria Labour Congress and its affiliates including the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and clamped some labour leaders in detention without charges.The essence was to silence and insulate them from foreign influences and ideologies. During the period, millions of Nigerian workers faced serious socio-economic challenges and deprivation of rights and privileges. Interestingly, soon after returning the country to civil rule in 1999, General Abdulsami Abubakar repealed all the labour decrees, deproscribed Nigeria labour Congress and its affiliates and graciously granted pardon to labour leaders who were unjustly arrested and detained by Abacha administration. Since then, the organized trade and labour unions have been playing crucial roles in the socio-economic and political development of Nigeria. These roles which have been described as developmental by sociologists and scholars of Industrial Relations include mobilization and sensitization of workers and citizens, protection of the welfare and rights of workers, increased productivity and promotion of industrial harmony in all sectors of the economy. Additionally, the unions made rational agitation for equitable distribution of national wealth and improved standard of living of workers through dialogue and negotiations for commensurate salary structures, periodic review of national minimum wage and wage awards among others. Despite these commendable achievements, Nigerian workers are facing hard times occasioned by arbitrary removal of fuel subsidy, non implementation of national minimum wage and its consequential adjustments. Others are payment of stagnant monthly salaries without annual increments, soaring food prices, inflation which has made a mockery of workers salaries, hike in transportation fares arising from non revitalization of the nation’s refineries and problems in the Middle East, exorbitant rents and building materials. The nation’s currency, naira, is on its knees for competing with dollars and other currencies. Worse still, the Federal Government has continued to take foreign loans with dispatch approvals by the National Assembly despite removal of fuel subsidy in May 2023. Today, families of millions of Nigerian workers cannot afford basic daily needs and obligations while the future looks bleaker. Many workers have withdrawn their children from schools as a result of economic hardship in the country. Equally worrisome is non payment of pensions and gratuities to retired federal and state governments workers which is enough discouragement, demotivation and disillusionment to serving workers.The present situation whereby politicians work for eight years and go home with full benefits including severance packages while civil servants who worked for thirty five years or more go home without pensions and gratuities is discriminatory, provocative and unacceptable. The case in point are retirees of Imo State Polytechnic Omuma in Oru East LGA and Imo State University Owerri. Imo State Polytechnic staff are being owed three months salary arrears including February 2020. Retired staff of Imo State Polytechnic Omuma and Imo State University Owerri were receiving their monthly pensions until February 2020 when the Shared Prosperity Administration stopped monthly subventions and took over the payment of salaries of Imo workers under the Treasury Single Account Policy. Since then, neither monthly pensions nor gratuities are paid to retirees of these tertiary institutions and no serious efforts are made to enroll them into the Imo State Government Pensions Scheme. It is a gross violation of contract for the Federal or State Government to delay or fail to pay pensions and gratuities to their retirees after meritorious services. Government at all levels should therefore use the opportunity offered by this year’s Workers’ Day to address the problems of non payment of arrears of salaries, short payment of monthly salaries, non implementation of approved promotions, non implementation of minimum wage consequential adjustments and non payment of pensions and gratuities. Other areas requiring urgent government attention include escalating insecurity of lives and property of citizens, banditry, kidnapping and other social vices.<\/p>\n

Most importantly, there is the compelling need for the Federal and State Governments to honour agreements entered into with the organized trade and labour unions after negotiations. Labour leaders and their members should not be allowed to proceed on either warning or total strike before their legitimate demands are met. Government should ensure regular payment of commensurate monthly salaries, payment of harmonized pensions and gratuities to serving and retired workers. Retired government workers should not be subjected to misery, frustration, preventable diseases, sicknesses and untimely deaths as a result of negligence or failure in governance evident in the recent blockade and protests at government offices and public places by retired security agents and civil servants over accumulated unpaid pensions and gratuities.<\/p>\n

The worst thing that can happen to retired federal or state government workers is to delay, withhold or fail to pay their pensions and gratuities for inexplicable reasons.<\/p>\n

Conversely, Nigerian workers should cultivate and imbibe positive work culture and shun negative attitudes and attributes that negate and militate against productivity in all sectors of the economy.<\/p>\n

As Nigerian workers join their counterparts all over the world to commemorate this year’s Workers’ Day without the usual pomp and pageantry, we wish them a happy and hitch-free celebration to the glory of God.<\/p>\n

Aluta continua. Victoria acerta.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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