Workers are the main drivers that ensure the growth and sustainability of any organization. Irrespective of how the organization is conceptualized and contextualized, without workers taking and performing key roles and responsibilities, the organization would be short-lived. Workers keep the organization by giving their time and skills to its development. The welfare of workers is therefore essential and it is incumbent on the employers to contribute to the employee’s benefits for optimal performance and efficiency.
Some of the notable employee’s welfare facilities include but are not limited to housing facilities, free medical facilities, retirement benefits, children and adult educational benefits, welfare measures for the worker’s families, loan facilities and so on. The worker’s welfare should be paramount at all times in an organization as this would be an impetus to worker’s efficiency and dedication to the organization. Undoubtedly, a well-cared-for employee would reciprocate by performing to the best of his or her ability.
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Social welfare is primarily concerned with the solution of various problems of the weaker section of the society like the prevention of destitution poverty. It aims at social development by such means as social legislation, social reform, social service, social work, social action. The object of economic welfare is to promote economic production and productivity and through development by increasing equitable distribution.
Furthermore, labour welfare is an area of social welfare conceptually and operationally. It covers a broad field and connotes a state of well-being, happiness, satisfaction, conservation and development of human resources.
Notwithstanding, the importance of welfare schemes, facilities and services are increasingly being agitated for workers and organised labour. Welfare schemes are recognised by international labour organizations and they encourage it for their member states. Workers deserve more than only salaries or wages, hence the argument for provision and improvement of existing welfare facilities in the workplace. The benefits of welfare are two-fold: the workers benefit and at the same time it serves as an impetus for efficiency and effectiveness in the chain of productive activities in the workplaces. It is a win-win situation.
However, nowadays, Nigerian workers are being neglected in the implementations of their welfare issues, their salaries are not being paid at the right time in some states of the federation. For those who have retired, their entitlement, gratuities, pensions also are not given to them rightly.
Regarding the implementation of minimum wage, most of the states of the federation have implemented while others have not. Sadly enough, workers salaries are being deducted unnecessarily without due course. How can you expect effective and good work (positive result) would be tirelessly delivered by workers with those sorts of maltreatment?
In a nutshell, I would like to call on the attention of the government of the federation both from state and national ones to be very careful in treating their workers in a good and effective way, by so doing, workers would work very hard in the discharge of their duties, assiduously and impartially.
Mallam Musbahu Magayaki, writes from Sabon Fegi, Azare, Bauchi State
