Do we actually need trade unions?-Thinking Corner

Thinking Corner: Are trade unions enemies in disguise or friends of general public?

The purpose of this piece is to set the record straight.

If you say trade unionists are not needed, then try a Nigerian society that has no labour union. Nigerian soceity without trade union, give it a trial for one month, then you will appreciate the role being played by them.

By allcitynews.ng

As the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing, according to Edmund Burke, 1729-1797,

Folding of arms in akimbo watching and hoping for change without action would give most employers of labour licence to enslave their workers.

To many people, labour unions and their activities are not needed in the present day society. Most people often describe labour leaders as sell-out people. “People who are only out to shake employers of labour in order to enrich their own pockets. They are fighting for their pockets,” they claimed.

To another school of thoughts, labour leaders often cry out publicly against anti-masses policies but go behind to collect bribe from such employers of labour and then keep quiet after the settlement(s).

Only those set of people can best explain how truthful their allegations could be.

Their allegations could be true as many who spoke to allcitynews.ng on this writing believe that labour unions are out to work only in favour of employees against employers of labour.

Some may be true talk but they are not 100% correct allegations.

Facts remain that labour unions are not narrow or self-seeking groups. They are known to have raised wages from peanut salaries, reduced hours of doing business which capitalist employers would have loved to stretch into 12 to 18 hours working hours on daily basis. Labour unions have also provided supplemental benefits to all Nigerian workers.

Efforts by labour unions have not only been producing positive results like collective bargaining and grievance procedures, they have brought justice and democracy to the door steps.

In fact, no trade unions, getting dividends of democracy would have been a mirage.

Most Nigerians apparently unaware that all the little little freedom they are enjoying today came as results of struggles and fight by organised labour. In fact, the only effective answer to organised greed is organised labour, noted Thomas Donaghue.

Appreciatively, most employers will not like to increase the salary or other welfare packages for their workers on platter of gold. Collective bargaining is done after they have been shaken by organised labour. Hence the slogan by labour unions, “freedom come by struggles,” have repeatedly confirmed that freedom is only gotten through hard work.

There may be little shortcomings.
Despite their shortcomings, yet, Nigerians should see organised labour as the only viable group and active instrument checkmating political office holders.

Without them, ruling political parties by now would have thrown the masses into modern economic and social slavery through bad governance.

Without any iota of doubt, trade-unions have done more for humanity than any other organisation of men that ever existed.

Organised labour has done more for decency, for honesty, for education, for the betterment of the race, for the developing of character in man, than any other association of men, Clarence Darrow. To Martin Luther King Jr, “Labour movement don’t diminish the strength of the nation but enlarged it. By raising the living standards of millions, labour miraculously create a market for industry and lifts the whole nation to undreamed of levels of production. Thus, those who attack labour, calling them all sorts of unprintable names often forget these simple truths, but history remembers them”-Martin Luther King Jr.

Pointedly, Martin Luther King Jr in his days said the labour movement has been the principal force that transformed misery and despair into hope and progress. Out of its bold struggles, economic and social reform gave birth to unemployment insurance, old-age pensions, government relief for the destitute and, above all, new wage levels that meant not mere survival but a tolerable life.

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have always remind the general public that as gold cannot be gotten on the surface of the earth, all the welfare, be they in private or public sectors were only made available through protests by organised trade-unions because most employers of labour only succumbed to dialogues and collective bargaining after much protests.

Hence, NLC helmsman, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, has always try to convince the general public that as freedom is only received by struggle, so, the support of the masses could go a long way to achieve expected results.

The facts still remain that labour movement did not originate from man. The labour movement, was a command from God Almighty. He commanded the prophets thousands of years ago to go down and redeem the Israelites that were in bondage. Thus, the Lord God organised the men into a union. And they said, “The masters have made us gather straw; they have been more cruel than they were before.” “What are we going to do?” Then, Moses and Aaron assuring the people of God’s intervention embarked on implementation of that freedom from cruel taskmasters.

Wabba often try to convince the general public that as the army of Egypt and King Pharaoh did not just grant the Israelites freedom, so freedom from all forms of modern slave trade in the country would need protest.

With activities of Wabba-led NLC, TUC (Trade Union Congress), led by Comrade Quadri Olaleye, FIWON (Federation of Informal Workers of Nigeria) led by the President and General Secretary, Comrade Gbenga Komolafe, and other civil societies, labour unions have remained the prize and freedom fighters of the working class inside today’s form of economy. They are tied inseparably to the wage system, good condition of service and conducive living standards for both workers in public and private sectors.

How? without labour unions, workers would be unable to sell their labour-power at its value. Organised labour lead the struggle against the tendency, inherent in capitalist accumulation, which could have been tailored toward impoverishment of the working masses.

In a nutshell, without labour unions, workers will lose many of the protections against abusive employers. Wages for all will be depressed, even as corporate profits soar.

The facts still remain that labour movement did not originate from man. The labour movement, was a command from God Almighty. He commanded the prophets thousands of years ago to go down and redeem the Israelites that were in bondage. The Lord God organised the men into a union and went to work. And they said, “The masters have made us gather straw; they have been more cruel than they were before.” “What are we going to do?” The prophets said, Moses and Aaron assuring the people of God’s intervention embarked on implementation of that freedom from cruel taskmasters.
Wabba has tried to convince the general public that as the army of Egypt and King Pharaoh did not just grant the Israelites freedom as he pursuing them to verge of Red Sea was swept away, so freedom from all forms of modern slave trade in the country would need fierce protest.

NLC remains the foremost body which has been promoting and protecting the interests, rights and welfare of Nigerian workers. Electricity tariff and pump price of petroleum products would gone out of the reach of average Nigerian without pressure from labour union leaders.

The body may have experienced a series of transformation in its nomenclature from the colonial era. What has never changed, and will never change, is its sole responsibility/duty to stand at all times for its members against all forms of maltreatment/injustice. To a large extent, the body had lived up to expectation, particularly in the area of engaging governments at all levels to reverse their policies deemed obnoxious and inhuman. Without doubt, the struggle for improvement by labour for improved standard of living for all Nigerians could be resisted by those who are benefiting from ruling class.