3-day Strike To Hold As Planned – Labour

The Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and the Civil Society Coalition, at a joint press conference in Abuja, said the NGF’s promise was not “assuring.” The group insisted that despite the NGF’s promise  after their meeting on Saturday, that they would pay the N18,000 minimum wage the 3-day strike scheduled to hold from Wednesday is still on course.  They advised Nigerians to buy foodstuffs on Monday and Tuesday in preparation for the strike. They also added that there would be no flights and the supply of electricity to homes and businesses would be disrupted.

The Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr. Promise Adewusi, who read a joint statement issued by the groups said they were not satisfied with “mere promises”.

He said, “The governors’ pronouncement that they will obey the Minimum Wage law has changed nothing on the ground and has advanced nothing in reality. And if the Federal Government follows suit, it will not change workers resolve to go on the three-day warning strike from Wednesday July 20, 2011.

“What the NLC, the TUC and the Nigerian working people demand is a signed agreement between the federal and state governments on one hand and the NLC and the TUC on the other stating that: “The New National Minimum Wage of N18,000 will be implemented across board based on salary relativity that will not distort the payment table at the Federal, State and Local Government levels.

“The payment of the new Minimum Wage will take effect from March 23, 2011, the day President Goodluck Jonathan signed the New National Minimum Wage into law. “The arrears from the Minimum Wage will be paid within three months. “Workers will not be victimised over the Minimum Wage by way of mass retrenchment, increase in tax or in any other form (of punishment).”

He said labour was surprised that states such as Abia, which had proposed a minimum wage of N46,000; Kwara, Imo and Kebbi, which had recommended N30,000; and Anambra which had offered to pay N25,000 would turn round to resist the payment of a minimum wage of N18,000.

He also wondered why statement governments which had proposed, on the average, N21,800 later showed reluctance to pay the new N18,000. 

According to him, federal agencies like the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission; the Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research; the National Productivity Centre; the Central Bank of Nigeria; and the National Bureau of Statistics proposed N34,200, N41,000, N22,000, N20,216.01 and N18,036.73 respectively. He accused the FG of attempting to cause a major industrial crisis over the new minimum wage regime. – Punch

 

5 COMMENTS

  1. Mr. President sir, but during your campaign you said that “if you can make it, we also can make it”. Sir, how can Nigeria workers make it now? Sir, do you know that the same blood flow in the veins of Nigeria workers and senators? l want you to know that Nigeria workers and ministers are patronise the same market. Sir, if you sincere about transforming Nigeria, you need to transform the lives of Nigeria workers first, by paying approved minimum wage across the board now!