By Adeyinka Adeniran
A Professor of Industrial Sociology at the University of Ibadan, Emeka Okafor on Thursday, said the high unemployment rates in Nigeria have contributed to the emergence of the cheap and surplus labour mostly exploited by work organisations across various sectors.
He 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 him, because casual workers or non-standard workers are not able to unionize, they face grievous and precarious working conditions in Nigeria.
He, however, urged the federal and state governments in Nigeria to rise and enforce labour laws to protect exploitation of casual workers in the country.
The Don gave the charge while presenting the University of Ibadan 562nd inaugural lecture entitled “The Periphery of the Periphery”: Exploring The Experiences Of Non-Standard Workers.
Professor Okafor said, “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. 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.”
To right the wrongs, Professor Okafor tasked 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”
“Regularizing non-standard workers in government ministries, departments, agencies, and parastatals who are due for such in order to provide them with stable employment and career advancement opportunities as a way of showing good examples to other stakeholders”, he added.
Additionally, the university don noted 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.
He also advised 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; and fighting corruption among its staff in the Inspectorate Department who may want to connive with some dubious employers to circumvent certain regulations and conventions regarding the treatment of non-standard workers.”
Labour unions, he posited, must pressurize employers to regularize non-standard workers and improve their working conditions through collective bargaining agreements.
