By Victor Ahiuma-Young

Between August 11 and 15, members of the National Union of Chemical, Footwear, Rubber, Leather and Non-Metallic  Products Employees, NUCFRLANMPE, gathered in the ancient city of Akure, the Ondo State capital to examine Emerging Challenges in Industrial Relations Practice: Chemical and Non-Metallic Sector Experience.

The programme, being the 23rd Annual Industrial Relations Seminar, attracted leaders of union at all levels across the country. It also had employer’s federation, human resource practitioners among others in attendance.

Addressing the opening ceremony, President of the union, Comrade Boniface Isok, reminded participants that the seminar was not a jamboree or a carnival but an avenue to equip and upgrade members and leaders for optimal productivity as regards understanding the dynamics of Nigerian economy.

According to him, “Challenges in industrial relations are numerous and it is quite worrisome that they defy the known theories of industrial relations.

There are challenges arising from internal and external environment with the latter having overbearing influence in shaping and dictating industrial relations practice in the world of work.

This is simply because the external factors include socio-economic and political policies and legislations under which industrial relations thrive.

“Moreover, it has become a herculean task to expand the membership base of the union through recruitment while it is also difficult to keep the existing members due largely to closures or relocation of factories and routine redundancy exercise owing to shrinkage in the operations of industries in the sector.

Economically advanced reasons given by the employers have resulted in the promotion of casual and out-source employments which are fast replacing the normal regularized job-status.”

Unfair labour practices

Speaking on increasing cases of unfair labour policies and practices, Comrade Isok said, “It is quite sad to say that in the year 2005, the Federal Government introduced casual, contract or temporary staffing into this country thereby placing Nigerian workers under bondage of slavery.

How can Federal Government encourage casualisation when there is outcry of “no job” in the country? Those in the corridors of power should not look after themselves but think of the citizens who elected them into office.

At this point, I will like to give kudos to the House of Representatives for the successful passage of the second reading of a bill to provide a time frame for the Regularisation of Casual or Temporary Employment to Permanent Status by all employers of labour in Nigeria. This shows that our elected officers can feel the pulse of the masses if they choose to.”

New cement policy

NUCFRLANMPE’s President lamented that “the proposed new cement policy is quite worrisome, the proponents of the cement standardization failed to put so many things into consideration.

The intention of government to phase out 32.5 grade cement based on the frequency of building collapse in the country is not in the best interest of the country because government failed to take into consideration the fact that cement is not the only component in building construction. Government should look into the type of iron rods, granite and other inputs in building construction.”

He decried government’s lack of planning, saying “the years of grace for cement plants to be upgraded to meet with the production of 42.5 ‘grade of cement is completely ignored. The problems for the planners and executors of any project are compounded when overzealous influential individuals manipulate the policy to their favour and the government dances to their tunes.”

Adopting new strategy

In her remarks, Ondo State chairman of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Bosede Daramola, lamented the rising rate of unemployment in the country, saying the recent unemployment report released by the Federal Bureau of Statistics, FBS, put unemployment rate at 42.4 percent.

According to her, “those of us that are lucky to have employment, have no job security as such, we have to do our best to protect our jobs. There are increasing cases of unfair labour practices in the world of work.

Hence, I can say the theme of your seminar is very apt.  Increasingly, employers and government are coming out with anti-labour and bad policies. We have to fight these policies to ensure a better living condition for all of us.”

She decried the increasing use of strike as a tool by workers and unions in the fight against perceived injustice, saying it is becoming very monotonous and no longer achieving its desired purpose.

She said “strike is becoming monotonous. It is no longer achieving result. We need to go back to the drawing board and rethink to come out with a more effective strategy.”
The NLC chairman also lamented the worsening power supply and its negative impact on the socio-economic wellbeing of the citizens.”

Declining manufacturing sector

Speaking, Executive Secretary of CANMPEF, Mr. E. F. Ali, represented by Mr. Samuel Ajayi, said “The importance of the manufacturing sector (within the “Chemical and Non-Metallic” sub sector operates) to an economy cannot be over emphasized in the modern world; manufacturing sector is regarded as a basis for determining a nation’s economic efficiency (Amakom, 2012).

However, after the discovery of crude oil in Nigeria in the late 1950’s, the nation has shifted from its pre-eminent developing industrial production base and placed heavy weight on crude oil production, it also aggravated the Nation’s level of unemployment. For instance, the manufacturing sector of the economy contributed only 8.02 percent to the new Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data out of the total 2013 GDP rebased estimate of N80.22 trillion ($510 Billion).

Though this was an improvement over the figures recorded in the last one decade, nevertheless, when compared to the international communities, the percentage contribution of the Nigerian manufacturing sector to total GDP is very low.