June 12: Labour Institute DG Harps On Workplace Democracy

The director general of the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin, Kwara State, Comrade Issa Aremu, yesterday stressed the need to deepen workplace democracy to complement the promotion of democracy at the national level.

He regretted that workplace democracy violations occur globally, ranging from restrictions on workers’ rights to outright suppression of rights, cyber bullying and sexual harassment contrary to labour laws and international labour conventions.

In a message commemorating Democracy Day, Aremu called for quality control measures to deepen democracy in Nigeria.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 113th International Labour Conference of the ILO, Aremu cited the enactment of four national minimum wage Acts since 1999, constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of association, expression and assembly as notable achievements in the labour sector in the past 26 years of Nigeria’s democracy.

He noted that renewed labour market activism has been unleashed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Reform Agenda, which aims to create jobs through the envisaged 2.5 million LEEP launched by the minister of state for labour, the employment of 774 health fellows, and improved minimum wage.

Aremu observed that the challenge in the next two years lies in the review of the 2024 minimum wage, adding that the premier Institute is ever ready to create a platform for stakeholders’ engagement for effective negotiation through mass education on collective bargaining and social dialogue.

He added that the establishment of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) to uphold the rights of Persons Living With Disabilities (PLWD) and ensure their full participation in society and access to opportunities was another milestone in the democratic process.