COVID-19 Lockdown: CDWR Rejects Jobs Cut, Fractional Salary
Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) has condemned work policy that places workers on fractional or no salary or in some cases the outright sack of workers as a result of the CODVID-19 lockdown.
‘We also condemn the delay in the payment of March salary by many private-sector employers.
In a press statement signed by its National Chairman, Rufus Olusesan and Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Bosah, the group also demanded the payment of backlog of salaries and pensions owed to workers and retirees by some state governments.
‘Some of these debts running into several months predate COVID-19 and so unless the labour movement is ready to challenge these anti-labour policies, these anti-poor governors can use the COVID-19 as an excuse to further refuse to pay workers and retirees.
‘It has got to our notice that many workers have been informed by their employers that they will not be paid for the period of the COVID-19 lockdown.
‘A case in point is Kaduna State where the Governor has cut workers’ salaries by 25%. Also, Arik Air has cut pay by 80% while asking 90% of staff to go on compulsory leave without pay.
‘While other airlines are set to follow the same direction, job losses, pay cuts, involuntary and unpaid furloughs and non-payment of wages have been reported in hotel and tourism sector.
Casual workers who are paid daily or hourly with insecure work contract are the most affected and this set of workers constitute the vast majority of private-sector employees.
It is unfortunate that most employers of labour just like the ruling elite are forcing workers and the poor to pay for the economic consequence of the lockdown. We strongly hold the view that workers and poor masses have the right to better living and working conditions.
We understand that small and medium scale businesses may face some challenges and the government will have to intervene in the area of tax relief and some other incentives but we demand that the extent of intervention for companies must be arrived at only after the books have been scrutinized to identify proven needs as well as the fulfillment of other conditions including stopping casualization etc. For multinational business and other blue-chip companies who pay fractional salary or refuse to pay salaries, the government should nationalize these companies and be placed under democratic control and management of workers and consumers to ensure that it is run in the interest of workers and the public.
‘CDWR reject blanket bailout without conditions or any government planned bailout of big business like it did between 2009 and 2016 when over 4 trillion was spent to bail out the greedy and corrupt bankers, inefficient power sector companies and some irresponsible members of the ruling elite. Rather, it is the Nigerian workers, the poor and small and medium scale business on the basis of proven needs that need bailout during this period.
We also demand that the government should come out with real and adequate palliatives for all Nigerian poor masses that includes paying N50, 000 monthly cash grant to the working masses and unemployed.
‘CDWR calls on the trade union leaders to lead a struggle to protect jobs and salaries of private and public sector workers. The N30, 000 National Minimum Wage must be defended so that the government does not use the excuse of COVID-19 to undermine the payment. The trade union leaders also have to put pressure on the Nigerian government to implement a viable, sustainable and adequate palliatives for the masses. The trade union leaders will have to lead a struggle against private companies that perpetuate anti-labour practices including casualization, contract staffing, fractional salaries, and job losses during the period of lockdown and after.
