High expectations as Wabba makes ILO governing board
The election of the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, as a member of the governing board of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), last month in Geneva, has generated an atmosphere of hope for workers in Nigeria and the Africa continent in general.
He was elected alongside the Director General, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, Olusegun Oshinowo. The duo will be members of the board from 2017 to 2020.
The ILO governing board being the highest decision making organ of the organisation meets three times a year - March, June and November. It takes decisions on ILO policy and decides its agenda. It also adopts the draft programme and budget of the organisation for submission to the conference and elects the directorgeneral.
The election of the duo into the board means that they are going to represent African employers, workers and in fact, trade unions in the entire African continent.
It further means that what African workers will benefit from the ILO in the next few years will be tied to the ability of Ayuba Wabba to lobby and convince the other members of the board on the plight of workers in the continent.
Comrade Litkang Goodylengs Wetna, National Trustee of National Union of Banks, Insurance and other Financial Institutions Employees (NUBIFIE) told Daily Trust that Wabba`s election into the ILO governing board is a plus for the country.
He said that for the president of Nigerian Labour Congress to be given a high position in the ILO means that we have a voice in the highest organ of labour at the international circle.
He said, “It means that the Nigeria government cannot just come up and say they would do anything contrary to labour laws or do anything that will disrupt the comparison with the world best practices because we have a board in the world. So, they cannot deny our rights.”
Wetna also noted that when it comes to policy directives in terms of trying to sideline or suppress labour law, if labour is to stand up, it will not just be speaking within the country, but speaking at the highest level of the world.
“It means that Nigerian labour is going to be respected in the eyes of the world because we have a say in the ILO governing board,” he added.
Comrade Ladi Iliya, a former president of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), said that having representation in the ILO governing board is a good omen for the Nigerian Labour movement and the country as a whole.
She told Daily Trust on phone that the only person who has occupied such a position in the past was Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.
She said the advantages of a Nigerian sitting at the ILO governing board includes, “having a say in international labour affairs and opportunity of having members in the committee and gaining experience along the way.
She said: “And you just don’t elect somebody into such a position, you must be someone of high intelligence. Wabba is a goal getter, he will not let us down there because he is equal to the task.”
Many believe that with the election of Ayuba Wabba into the ILO board, over a decade after Nigeria last occupied the position, the condition of African workers will be better off because of his vibrancy and campaign for decent work and occupational safety for all workers.
They also cited his current push for better welfare and increase in salary for workers across board as a source of renewed hope for the Nigerian workers.
Wabba, speaking after his election into ILO board, did not hide his plan for the African workers.
He dedicated the victory to the Nigeria workers and workers around the world, stressing that his membership of the board “will give a voice to poor Nigerian workers, pensioners and Africans.”
He reiterated that decent work, occupational safety and the condition of workers had not received the desired attention in comparison with the wealth that had been created in the country.
“I am dedicating the victory to the Nigeria workers and workers around the world. It is an opportunity to give a voice to poor Nigerian workers, pensioners and Africans. It has a multiplicity of advantages. With this, we are now a member of the decision making body and that means we can have our voice heard in the global sphere.
“It also means that in our relationship with other social partners in the country, we will ensure that ILO standards are respected on the issue of decent work, collective bargaining, occupational safety and others,” Wabba said.
A cross section of workers interviewed in Abuja advised Wabba to work closely with other trade unions and employers’ associations across the African continent in order to pull a strong synergy that will give them the strong voice to push for a common goal for the benefit of African workers.