Celebrating workers’ day amidst lockdown

By Maria Famakinwa
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This year’s Workers’ Day celebration will no doubt go down in history of Nigeria and other countries of the world as one to be remembered with mixed feelings due to the outbreak of coronavirus that is ravaging the world.

Ordinarily, Workers’ Day is usually marked with pomp and pageantry in a brotherly and friendly fashion as workers gathered in their thousands at a designated meeting point adorned themselves with customized shirts for Workers Day parade. The activity that was a carnival like  was seen by the workers as a rare opportunity to thank God for safety and to demand for better condition of service. The Day that is of more of social gathering for workers to interact, take photographs and merry will not be this year, no thanks to the coronavirus pandemic that has given birth to governmental lockdown and the gospel of social distancing to keep safe.

The Hope spoke with some workers in Akure, the Ondo state capital on this year’s Workers Day.  To Mr Sunday Clement, a federal civil servant, workers day comes once in a year and should be celebrated to appreciate workers’ contributions in moving the country forward but added that such celebration will not be witnessed this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He said,” since  lockdown had been declared, workers have been at home. Though, it is against the normal culture of May Day celebration, but it is better to stay safe at home than contracting the deadly COVID-19. I am seizing this opportunity to appeal to the government to pay up the newly approved minimum wage for workers who are yet to get paid.

”Staying at home to most workers is not helpful as we spend more than normal when our children were in schools, wives in their offices and meet later in the day. With the lockdown, many workers are struggling to cope even with the new minimum wage because prices of foodstuffs are becoming unbearable for salary earners.”

In the submission of another civil servant, Mrs Abigail Mobolayo, who described this year workers’ day celebration as a unique one that workers will not forget, revealed that despite the fact that workers are at home, they are not finding it easy to cope. Her words.” This year’s workers’ day celebration will be a reference point in years to come as one that  people were forced to stay at home because the best way to stay safe is to stay apart.

”I still remember last year’s workers’ day celebration that was fun with a lot to eat and drink. Nobody can try it now because workers day celebration is all about social gathering and this is against the rule of COVID-19 for one to stay alive. I can only appeal to Ondo state government not to relent in its efforts because Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu is trying especially in the prompt payment of workers’ salaries. We want him not only to continue but to also look at other areas where civil servants in the state can be better motivated for improved performance.”

Sharing similar sentiment, another civil servant, Mr Theo Ayeni, who congratulated other civil servants for celebrating another May Day despite the challenges facing the country and the world lamented that some workers had lost their lives to the coronavirus scourge and charged the government to do the needful and prevent further avoidable deaths of Nigerian workers especially those at the front line who are providing care for COVID-19 patients in different hospitals.

His words: ‘’I want to count myself and other workers lucky to have witnessed this year’s workers’ day because it is just by God’s grace considering the number of workers who had lost their lives to the ravaging pandemic globally. No doubt, most of these workers who died in the course of duty would have loved to celebrate this year’s workers’ day. It is just by God’s grace that we are alive to see the day even though, it is devoid of the usual pomp and pageantry, we still have everything to thank God for.

‘’Let me use this time to appeal to the government at all levels to protect Nigerian workers especially health providers who are in the frontline of caring for victims of coronavirus. Paying them hazard allowances is not enough compared to lives lost, instead,  governments should put in place equipments and materials to be used that will not expose them uncessarily to the virus like Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) among other things needed. Not only this, other workers across the country also deserve better working conditions. For instance, most workers as we speak are yet to get the much talked about minimum wage why some complained of deductions from their salaries monthly. We want government to address these areas because civil servants play  significant role in any nation’s development.”

Also thanking God for celebrating another May Day, Mr Taye Moruf, who also revealed that this year’s workers’ day is a special one celebrated in the midst of fear and uncertainty, praying that God will intervene and ward off the deadly pandemic globally. The man said further that May Day could still be celebrated individually at home as a guide against contracting coronavirus revealed that due to the compulsory holiday, many civil servants including himself were embracing farming. He said,”The compulsory holiday and subsequent lockdown by Federal and State governments in order to curtail the spread of the virus have turned many civil servants to farmers. Like me, I have a farm at the back of my house and the same goes for many of my friends. I just see it as an opportunity to engage oneself meaningfully.”

The man while wishing workers happy May Day urged them to continue praying for things to return to normal as well as following the safety directives given to remain safe, appealing to the three tiers of government to always prioritise workers’ welfare.