By Oluwole Leigh
Drivers (chauffeurs, land pilots and transportation assistants) represent a sizeable portion of Nigeria’s workforce. In the past, the age range of drivers used to be between 40 years and 50 years and they had a minimal level of education — Primary 6 School Leaving Certificate. These days, the ages of members of this profession starts from about 20 years.
There are various categories of drivers, commercial bus drivers, truck drivers and private drivers (corporate/personal). This discussion seeks to concentrate on the plight of corporate drivers.
Drivers used to be direct staff of private and public employers of labour. They had their salary scale, entitlements, and a voice within organisations. The modern labour trend of outsourcing has, however, turned most drivers to third party/contract staff. The current practice is that drivers and cars are leased by the logistics company to a corporate body. The corporate body pays for the service provider and they, in turn, pay the drivers. This situation has improved efficiency in the transport of people, goods and other physical items in most enterprises. The company is not held back if a driver is unavailable because a replacement is easily provided.
The third party model adopted by most companies has led to a huge chasm between these drivers and regular staff of most corporate bodies. They are seen as dispensable and inconsequential in the general scheme of things.
The following highlight a few out of the many ways they can be helped:
Contraception
A couple of years ago, I heard a driver dancing and singing. He happily informed us that his wife had given birth to a boy. Interestingly, the boy happened to be his fourth Child. He sounded like he would have been ready to have his wife put to bed 10 times in his ‘search for a boy’. The traditional belief is that kids bring blessings into a home. However, the economic situation in the country should make individuals forgo traditional sentiment and embrace hard logic. A lot of drivers I have spoken with see contraception as something alien to the African culture. Their self-esteem seems to be built on their ability to impregnate women at random. Many have contracted sexually transmitted diseases and have ultimately infected their partners. They need help in recognising the value of contraception. They need help in preventing unwanted pregnancies and unwanted infections.
Financial Education
The cost of living in urban centres such as Lagos often forces low-income earners to run out of money before the end of the month. A lot of drivers fall into this category. There is a prevalent mentality that poor earnings serve as a motivation for prudent spending. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Drivers can often be found engaging in high risk financial adventures promising extraordinary yields. These financial schemes almost always result in loss of investments. They need to be taught the basics of savings and investments. Better information will lead to better decisions.
A major issue which I’ve seen a lot of drivers face is the inability to pay back a loan. Drivers, due to their collegial nature, have no issues giving out personal loans to their colleagues. Unfortunately, most of these loans are never recovered. We need to help them understand that you should only lend out money that you can afford to give away
Computer Literacy
Harsh economic realities have forced a lot of individuals with certificates from higher institutions of learning to take up driving. Some of these individuals may have never spent a day in the office environment but are intelligent enough to assimilate basic computer-driven work tasks. Web usage, poster/colour design and other computer-based tasks can be taught to drivers in their free time so that they go through self-development instead of playing poker, checkers and ludo as they often do. The high-performers could be introduced to Web Programming and Design. The ubiquitous nature of smart phones has greatly increased human interaction with technology. A lot of drivers are conversant with the use of cheap Android devices such as Tecno phones. Thus, basic computational tasks can be learned and quickly grasped by them
Health Management: Exercise and Diet
Many drivers start their early morning routines with a shot of ‘Paraga‘. In Yoruba language it’s called agbo or opa eyin. The myth around these drinks is that they are medicinal. However, the truth is that these drinks are basically a combination of herbs and cheap alcohol. Starting the day with alcohol and going through the rest of it with heavy carbohydrates often leads to a bloated figure. Drivers are not helped by the fact that their favourite stations such as Radio Lagos 107.5 FM give out terrible medical advice. Quack doctors and traditional healers come on air to advise listeners on issues which they know nothing about. It is necessary for organisations to include their contracted third party staff in health initiatives. This responsibility should not be left to the Contracting Company. A driver who is not in the best of health might take actions that may be harmful to the passengers
Provision of Bedroom/ Bathroom Facilities
Companies usually have adequate restroom facilities for their staff but make inadequate arrangements for their contracted staff. Drivers who work for organisations located on the Lagos Island ( Lekki, Ikoyi, V.I) usually reside a long way from the office. A daily commute to places like Alakuko, Ajangbadi, Sango Ota and Mowe can lead to serious depletion of their meagre resources as well as late arrival at work. This is the reason many drivers are found sleeping in cars or drivers’ offices overnight. While the drivers’ offices are usually furnished with tables and chairs, they are not designed for overnight stays. It is immoral to allow fellow human beings to sleep on pieces of wood or in the car throughout the working week. Foams, mattresses and pillows should be provided for the drivers as well as a well aerated environment. Their bathroom facilities should also be modern.
Regular Pay
Corporate organisations have a duty to regularly pay their sub-contracting partners as well as ensure that their partners pay their staff. While some organisations have long pay cycles (90 days in some cases), these processes should not be allowed to affect the monthly pay of drivers. The effect of irregular pay is that drivers resort to borrowing money from company staff. These loans are usually not paid back and result in a breakdown of relationship between the lenders and the borrowers. When drivers go out of town, their companies should pay them an Out Station Allowance. The reality is that the few companies that pay such allowances usually pay them at the end of the trip. As described earlier, the drivers resort to loans from the company’s direct staff to pay for meals and boarding while they are out of town. The vicious cycle of ‘lack of pay leading to loans’ can be broken if the corporate bodies ensure that their contracting companies do not cut corners.
Company Values
Companies usually exhibit lofty values such as professionalism, respect, integrity, humility and other nice- sounding words. In most cases, companies are ready to hold their staff to higher standards of behavior than their indirect staff. When 3rd party staff such as drivers exhibit unprofessional behavior, they are usually sent back to their companies and replaced by others. In severe cases, such contractors could be required to sack the offending driver(s). It is necessary for corporate bodies to put an end to knee jerk reactions such as described above. These drivers are human and in need of education. They can only be held to high standards if they have been given the right education. Value education should be extended to them and they can then be judged on the basis of their actions. Company staff should be expected to show professionalism in their dealings with contract staff.
Working Hours
Working hours for drivers are usually not restricted to 8 (or 9) to 5. A driver who sleeps over in the office is practically on call 24 hours a day. Their working hours are dependent on the nature of the person they are assigned to. Some company employees do not care what time the driver ends his shift as long as he drives them to their heart’s content. Many drivers are forced to run private errands during unofficial hours in order to satisfy their bosses. The fact that a driver sleeps in the office does not negate his need for rest. Company staff should respect the working hours of drivers and abide by them. In the event that work extends beyond official hours, overtime allowances should be paid based on the extra hours worked.
