The 2022 May Day also referred to as “workers’ day” rallies took place in almost all states of Nigeria including Lagos and Abuja. The worker’s day rally which is usually held on May 1st of every year is jointly organized by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC). 

As usual, the Movement for a Socialist Alternative (MSA) a pro-workers organization interested in workers and youth struggles, intervened in the rallies with its May Day Special edition and also with leaflets. The leaflets circulated centred on the government’s incessant hike in fuel prices and also the ongoing strike embarked upon by the University workers, ASUU. Notably, the strike is on the government’s refusal to reach the agreement it entered with the university workers.

This year’s May Day came at a period when university workers are on strike. For example, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of University (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) are all on strike and students are at home for more than 100 days. Despite the protracted strike, the government is yet to agree to terms with the striking lecturers.

Another economic challenge facing workers and poor working-class families is the high cost of living and inflation. Nigeria is mono-economic and underdeveloped. The artificial scarcity of fuel a few weeks ago drove the prices of fuel high including other commodities; thereby affecting goods and services. The consumer price index, which measures the rate of increase in the prices of commodities rose to 15.92% in April 2022.

One other indication of the collapsing economy under this capitalist government is the rise in the cost of public debt, which rose by 20.2 per cent. As of December 31st, 2021, the country’s debt profile had risen from N32.92 trillion ($86 billion) in 2021 to N39.56 trillion ($95.7 billion). Currently, the unemployment rate is at 35% and is projected to hit 40% in 2023. 

Despite all these challenges being faced by the working masses, the minimum wage of N30,000 ($51.7) is not even paid by most state governments. The purchasing power of workers is so low compares to 2019 when the minimum wage bill was passed into law. In 2019, the new minimum wage then could be about two 50kg bags of rice, but as it stands now that amount could only get to buy just one bag.

In this regard, MSA join in the cry for a new minimum wage to be implemented. This is what some of the workers at the mayday expected the labour leaders should put forward in their speech. We say this because of the conversation with workers we had, who picked interest to buy our paper. For a new minimum wage to be implemented, workers in the trade union must mount pressure on their leadership to organise an action. This is what in our mayday special edition we stated clearly.

INTERVENTIONS

The MSA intervention this year on May Day was significant and workers embraced our papers including leaflets they assisted in distributing to other workers as a witness in Abuja. The organization intervened on 7 May Day centres such as Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Oshogbo, Benin-city, Abuja and Nasarawa where the rally was held and also in Minna Niger state where the rally was postponed to Wednesday 4th of May.

The rally was spectacular in all the centres with the warm reception given to us by workers. Many who bought the papers agree with the picture on the front page, which talked about a new minimum wage for workers. In Lagos for instance, a total of 256 copies of the papers were sold and hundreds of leaflets were circulated to workers. This sales figure acknowledges the acceptance of our paper SOLIDARITY from the working masses and reaffirms a thumb up to our support and interventions in the day-to-day activities of workers. 

The story is the same in other centres such as Abuja where workers gave support by joining members of the MSA in circulating our leaflets on the state of insecurity in the North, the leaflets on the ASUU strike and other related issues sinking the working masses into economic hardship and poverty.

While a total of 54 copies were sold at the eagle square in Abuja, some unions want the branch to bring copies of the paper to their office. Other centres such as Nasarawa also witnessed high demands for our paper as all 50 copies were sold at the venue of the rally. Similar to the May Day event in Benin City, we sold and exhausted 50 copies of the paper taken to the rally ground.

In Ibadan where our comrades also intervened. The turnout of workers was low compared to other states. These could not be unconnected to the huge economic challenges workers are facing daily because of the high cost of living and hardship under capitalism. Despite the low turnout, the comrades are resilient and dogged to engaged workers and they sold 28 papers.

It is with the same spirit of doggedness that the student’s comrades in Oshobo (MSA OAU-Ife) used in selling 25 papers of the special mayday edition of the SOLIDARITY. The enthusiasm of the comrades, especially the new members at the OAU branch, was a laudable ordeal for them participating on the mayday i.e. the utmost and historic day in the history of the labour movement Internationally.

In the other centre in the southwest e.g Abeokuta. A student comrade of MSA recorded 15 copies sold. Despite it being a yeoman intervention. However, the comrade was able to intervene with the paper, especially raising the subject of the minimum wage. Although, it was a difficult one he was able to record success despite the huge challenges of security.

In Minna the Niger state capital, our comrades were already at the venue before they got the information that the rally in the state have been postponed to the 4th of May. However, these comrades do not relent in their effort as they took the opportunity to circulate leaflets in the community and have discussions with a few youths and workers in the neighbourhood. This intervention is germane as it offers us the opportunity to consolidate workers to the idea of socialism.

The theme for this year’s May Day which is “Labour, Politics and the Quest for Good Governance and Development in Nigeria” was expected by Nigerian workers to be used by the Labour leadership to challenge the government anti workers’ policies that have led the workers to be poorer than where they are before the minimum wages were increased in 2019.

The Buhari government’s continuous implementation of imperialist policies of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and cut in the funding of social sectors like education, has also resulted in incessant hikes in fuel prices and electricity tariffs; which keep putting the economy below underdevelopment the ruling elites in Nigeria are comfortable with.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, these interventions and the responses are very significant to us as it gives us the opportunities to expand our frontiers, and reach out to new contact workers and young people interested in the idea of socialism. In our subsequent intervention, we will plan to spread our wings and participate in other states of the federation. This will also rest on the shoulder of increasing our numbers and consolidating our forces.

We are proud to say that the total sum of papers sold, which also includes Solidarity prices is Fifty-Three Thousand Three hundred and Fifty Naira only (N53, 530: 00). In the coming weeks, we plan to visit the Nigeria Union of Railwaymen and unions that have agreed to subscribe to the SOLIDARITY. For the section, this is a huge effort to consolidate our strength and reach out to workers with the ultimate task ahead. We urge comrades to keep the effort shaped and consistent in the building of MSA.

MSA: Struggle! MSA: Solidarity! MSA: Socialism!