By Bimbola Oyesola
The current economic challenges impacted all sphere of Nigerian society, but in different ways. For the hospitality sector, the impact is quite collosal and huge.
The President of the Hotel and Personal Services Senior Staff Association (HAPSSSA), Iyeh William Adegbe,
in this interview noted that the impact on the hotels are multifarious, from the high cost of operations, to maintenance and taxes.
While the business continues to receive the economic bash, workers in the sector also have their tales of woes to tell.
Adegbe expressed that the harsh economic policies have further impoverished Nigerian workers and entire citizens.
He speaks on the how the closure during the Covid-19 period affected the operation in the sector and how some big hotels capitalized on the pandemic to undermine the right of the workers.
The labour leader also bares his mind on unionisation, minimum wage and other issues of national relevance.
Excerpts:
Economic challenges
The current government came on board accompanied with harsh economic policies that has further impoverished the Nigerian workers and the entire citizens. The union is doing well despite the challenges faced. It has been responding to the welfare of her members through collective bargaining and good industrial relations with majority of our employers.
However, the harsh business environment has impacted negatively on our sector in various ways. The high cost of operations, i. e. fuel, maintenance of facilities, various taxes to mention but a few.
Closure
Yes, this was the order of the day during Covid-19. Some hotels closed down.
We lost almost half of our members through redundancy during Covid-19.
It would be recalled that the hospitality industry suffered serious setback in their operations occasioned by Covid-19 pandemic between late 2020 to the first quarter of 2022.
The effect was so much on labour as laying off of workers cum downsizing of workforce took the center stage.
Today, business has resumed in all hotels in Nigeria but to our greatest dismay, most multinational hotel chains in Nigeria have introduced obnoxious practices targeting at weakening the strength of labour in hotel industries.
After sacking majority of the permanent staff during Covid-19, they are now resorting to massive casualisation, outsourcing and contract form of employment with strong warning and emphasizing than non of the employees should have anything to do with the union. What it means is the reintroduction of slave camps in workplaces. In this arrangement, workers has no access to any retirement benefits, no voice irrespective of whatever treatment that befalls them in the hands of their employer. They cannot ask for what is due to them because of fear of being victimized by the employer. Several attempts by the labour leaders to discourage them has proved abortive.
Even the few that are unionized suffered stagnation as no promotion is offered unless they are willing to be converted to contract staff where they will not have a say in their own welfare.
Redundancy
Now, things are getting better. The only thing is that employers are not employing more to fill the vacuum created during the covid period.
I would like to commend management of Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja for distinguishing themselves in fair labour practices. The hotel negotiate and implements the conditions of service of the workers as and when due.
The local branches of both HAPSSSA and National Union of Hotels and Personal Services Workers (NUHPSW) are seen as social partners. Persuasive negotiation is being practiced and the result is encouraging. Several promotion has been done at all levels, Team Support Staff were elevated and many contract staff were converted to permanent employees.
Unionisation
Government need to create a clause in tandem to the constitution for workers to be compulsorily unionised. The condition of workers in the hotels that are not unionized is pitiable because of the inhuman treatment they are going through in the hands of their employers/management. You cannot talk of decent jobs because you can’t find one. Workers are grossly enslaved on daily bases, their fundamental rights are being trampled upon, no conditions of service, hence they are subjected to 15 to 24 hrs working in a day against the labour law that stipulates 8 hrs a day. They are being threatened to be sacked if they dare indicate their interests for unionization.
We have resolved not to keep quiet, we have approached ministry of Labour and the struggle is on. We therefore call on all employers in the hotel industry who are involved in the above practices to change or be prepared to face strong resistance from all the affiliates in this sector and other sister affiliates in other sectors in consultation with the two labour centers in Nigeria.
But aside this, we have no issue with casuals. We have been able to checkmate it and bring it to the bearest minimum. The main problem is that private employers do not have interest in the union and, therefore, warning workers not to join.
However, I want to commend, the likes of Eko Hotel, Lagos, Transcorp Hilton Hotel Abuja, Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt as well as Four Point by Sheraton Lagos for upholding the principle of decent work practices which has distinguished them from others in the industry.
Productivity
It’s quite absurd that the inflation is at 31.70 percent and no doubt this affects every area of our daily life.
Everyone has a bite of the inflation. Government should set up a price control unit as prices are higher while dollars rates are falling. There should be price adjustment. For an average worker, the inflation has rendered our take home useless or how do you comprehend a worker on 30,000 Naira minimum wage buying a bag of rice for over 70,000? It is abysmal.
In this present situation, the industry also will be struggling to survive. This encourages importation and turning our country into a dumping ground rather than being a producing nation.
The government should create an enabling environment for the local producers to grow while importation of some goods should be discouraged.
The issue of insecurity also need a pragmatic action from the government. We need government to take the bull by the horns and take security measures to ensure that the country is more secured.
In terms of safeguarding our sector to remain afloat and equally contribute to the development of the country, we would call on the government to reduce the numbers of taxes imposed on hotels. The government also need to reclassify hotels with respect to stars and feathers as most mushroom guest houses all over the country call themselves hotels. This will nip in bud all nefarious activities we get to hear in some of these so called hotels.
Minimum Wage
Wage is of various categories. Minimum wage, living wage, and standard wage. The issue of minimum wage in Nigeria has been of great concern. The present minimum wage is under review and for the members of the Organised labour we want it to be done with quickly so that workers can have some relieve. The last minimum wage negotiated which is still subsisting is 30,000. The negotiation for the new wage is still going on, so I believe that the minimum wage will be something that the workers will be proud of at the end of the negotiation.
Currently, the employers in our sector are paying above the minimum wage of 30,000.
We have seen that some of these governors have failed to pay their workers the 30,000. But going forward, Labour movements should intensify pressure on such states to comply with the payment.
Efforts to reposition the union
HAPSSSA has been training her members to utilise their spare time in generating more income through private practices.
I have also been trying to reduce the debts inherited, bought a car for the office of the president, equipped the national Secretariat with computers and Internet facilities, improving on its finances to mention but a few.
Getting our union to remain relevant amidst the economic challenges has not been easy, but we have been encouraged by the comradeship spirit of our members and that has kept us going.
The union has been proactive to our members demands and they also have reciprocated with good support and that gives us peace in our union.