No doubt, proletarian holiday celebration to attain the eight-hour day for workers started first in Australia. The workers decided in 1856 to organise a day of complete stoppage together with meetings and entertainment as part of demonstration in support of the eight-hour day. However, the day would have been April 21. In the first instance, the Australian workers planned this for the year 1856. As a result of good things that emerged based on a strong effect on the proletarian masses of Australia, enlivening them and leading to new agitation, it was decided to repeat the celebration every year.
In view of the benefits derived by the Australian workers, the Americans in 1886 agreed that May should be the day, 200,000 of them left their work and demanded for the eight-hour day. Later, police and legal harassment prevented the workers for many years from repeating this demonstration. However, in 1888, they renewed their decision and resolved that the next celebration would be May 1, 1890.
Unarguably, workers had it tough in the early years of the American Industrial Revolution (AIR), as widely taught in schools. Sixteen-hour work days in dangerous conditions, child labour, exploitation and accidents were common then, magically everything became better in a civilized twentieth century way. The forces behind the change were left ambiguous at best and the radical labour movements were never discussed; too difficult for young minds, perhaps. Consequently, the vision of masses of militant workers parading through the streets of cities, towns and villages on May Day is lost in the revision of history.
From records available, it is a truism to say that Workers Day began from the 1886 Industrial revolution in Chicago, United States where workers laid down their lives to defend the rights of the working people.
Furthermore, it is crystal and abundantly clear that Workers Day celebration commenced in Nigeria during the Shagari’s administration, that is, on the 1st of May, 1981. This, I think and believe was in recognition by the Shehu Shagari’s administration of the significant contributions, which Nigerian workers have made and shall continue to make towards the progress of our beloved country, the giant of Africa.
It is most appropriate to say that Nigerian workers have also had their fair share of the struggle for enthronement of workers’ rights and privileges as well as enhanced package for workers especially under the current administration of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR, popularly known as “GEJ”. Despite this, it is correct to say that the road to the current situation by workers’ in Nigeria has been long, rough and tortuous.
Interestingly, the unions have vast power and the right to commence strike has been one of organized labour’s strongest weapons in realizing their goal. Once a union wins a bonafide election, the recognition of that union as a bargaining agent for workers’ is guaranteed under the law. In Nigeria, many trade unions and workers association like, Nigerian Labour Congress NLC, the Congress for free Trade Union, CFTU, Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Nigerian Union of Teachers, NUT, among others will hold their celebration rallies at different locations.
Writing on the workers’ dilemma in The Pointer newspaper of May 4, 2009,  its chairman, editorial Board, Mr. Godfrey Ubaka opined that Nigerian workers even fared reasonable well under the colonial authorities, when the shelter was part of his condition of service, his remuneration was  sure and he had the right to express his opinion on front burning issues.
Continuing, he stated that the fortune of the Nigerian workers actually plummeted rather sharply in the long years of military maladministration of the Nigerian State. The military, he went further to say recognized the centrality of professionalism in the public service and the private sector. Mr. Ubaka further advised that Nigerian workers should get more organized politically and be ready to play a key role in the determination of their future and destiny, and must insist on genuine electoral reforms. The path is usually full of challenges as already shown by the experiences of Obama, Mimiko, Oshiomole and the few other progressive committed to the rewriting of the political history in Nigeria.
Writing on Nigeria’s Owambe unionists and egunje unionism in The Urhobo Voice newspaper of March 11, 2014 page 13, Chief Bobson Gbinije had this to say “Our unionists and their unions are now into the configurationally methodology and strategies of threatening to call a strike to seek government’s face. But as soon as they are ‘settled’ and ‘arranged’ (Warri boys jargon and Neologism – meaning bribed) they call off the proposed strike through a volte face’. It is clear that some union leaders work in concert with management for their selfish interest. When this is done, they are never bold enough to tackle and address their members issue in line with the conditions of service (COS). Some of them beg and threaten management to get their own slots during employment. Is this fair to all concerned? What a dangerous dichotomy indeed!
It seems to me that Nigerian workers need each other to achieving more for this country especially the civil/public service which I may describe here as the engine room of any democratic structure. The Organized Private Sector, (OPS) is also not out in this regard. Whatever the case may be, Nigerian workers need to be empowered economically and their promotions especially in the public service should follow extant rules or guidelines not looking at faces especially on tribal grounds or listening to damaging statements which have no foundation in reality by some emergency management and make irrelevant recommendations to some governing councils or boards who have no time to cross – check facts probably due to ‘settlement’ also.
It seems to me that Nigerian workers have been faced with series of problems, many of which arose from the oppressive and obnoxious policies of previous administrations. Happily, the current democratic structure under the leadership of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR has looked into the welfare of both serving and retired workers with the increase in minimum wage, regular monthly salaries/allowances, and some retires being paid accordingly. Whatever the case may be, workers are expected to reciprocate and support the government to ensure peace and sustainable development.
Available records reveal at a glance that workers are still fighting against unprogressive practices in both the public and the private sectors. Nigerian workers have had a struggle against casualisation, exploitative contract employments, especially for expatriates and outsourcing jobs even when competent hands are available within. There are some organizations where employers deny employees their right to belong to trade unions, they work under sub-human conditions and eventually they are paid starvation wages rather than living wages, which is often irregular.
There is no argument to the fact that the largest employer of labour in Nigeria is the government through Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs. To this end therefore, it seems to me that professionalism and excellence as well as relevant qualifications should be taken into consideration avoiding “godfatherism” and “godmotherism” including tribalism, nepotism, favouritism, slots among others in employments and postings. This is to say that postings and deployments to various departments, ministries, parastatals or agencies should take into consideration one’s area of specialization in order to at least maintain minimum standard and work ethics. In applying this, it would help to boost corporate image of an organization and Nigeria in general, locally, nationally and internationally. There shall be need for long and short term courses/programmes occasionally to make such employees become more relevant and update his or her knowledge to enable such organization grow faster. Some organisations have fizzled out or remain redundant in the past as well as perform abysmally low as a result of engaging non-technocrat or neophytes to manage the affairs of such specialized organization. There is the need to address the issue of professionalism and technocracy in the management of Nigeria’s establishments. This should be quickly and urgently addressed to avoid waste of scarce resources both human and capital.
Delivering  a paper entitled “Industrial Harmony: A panacea  for job security at the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, PENGASSAN, Industrial Relations Workshop in  Benin-City, Edo State on the 2nd of April, 2011” the third substantive Principal/Chief Executive of the Petroleum Trainning Institute (PTI), Effurun Delta State, Dr. Samuel Ebika Ovuru, an engineer, academic  cum administrator stated that “Today, it seems the workforce in most cases are not interested in the growth of the organization rather efforts are mainly directed at improving welfare benefits. According to the Bayelsa–State born double qualified engineer, “there is need at this time for management and workers to clearly understand the mission statements of their organizations”. I believe the workers’ must play a major role in this direction so that the workforce and management could have mutual understanding of the organization’s objectives. In the aforementioned paper, the Chief Executive pointed out that the Nigerian industrial climate has been frequently disturbed by series of agitation and protest from both management and workers. No year passes, without a major strike or threat of strikes. If protest marches are not organized, there is always a sit-down strike that does not benefit any person in this great country of ours. The resultant effect, he disclosed, had always been scarcity of goods, services and increase in the cost of living to the ordinary person.
The truth is that as we celebrate this year’s May Day, workers and other Nigerians need to smile because the three tiers of government need to massively concentrate on improving the standard of living of Nigerians. Part of this should be immediate solutions for teaming millions of unemployed youths and those compulsorily and prematurely retired by former administrations need to be  properly paid their entitlements including severance package based on the agreement reached. There is no need for any organization to renege on agreement as that is not good enough for industrial harmony.
The only way out is for government and all those who are engaged in policies formulation to use the opportunity of the Workers’ Day to reflect on the real plight of Nigerian workers. The Nigerian Labour Movement NLM, must reciprocate the good intention of the government. It is only when labour is backed with commensurate returns that the doctrine of dignity of labour can become fully realized. In this connection therefore, Nigerian workers’ will have hope and future. However, it is most appropriate for Nigerian workers to prepare and rededicate themselves towards national reconstruction and growth, which current attitudes of graft, corruption, lack of loyalty to employers and willful sabotage of responsibilities do not encourage. It implies that workers must participate in the task of creating wealth. This, I humbly believe will usher in an era of industrial peace and harmony, improved work ethics and higher productivity on the part of Nigerian workers.
Charles Ikedikwa Soeze fhnr, fcida, fcai, fswca, cpae, chnr, ghnr, emba, ksq, son is a mass communication scholar from first degree to doctoral level and retired Assistant Director (Administartion)/Head, Academic  & Physical Planning (A&PP) of the Petroleum Training Institute (PTI), Effurun, Delta State, Nigeria. He is also a public affairs analyst/commentator on local, national and international issues.
(08036724193) [email protected]