In deft move to halt strike over Minimum wage: Reps want Buhari to transmit amendment bill to NASS

…Demand implementation of ASUU agreement
…Seek joint probe of NASS staff protest
The House of Representatives on Wednesday in an attempt to starve off the impeding labour crisis over demand for a new minimum wage has asked the Buhari administration to forward the minimum wage amendment bill to the National Assembly for consideration and assent.

Passing this resolution after it adopted the motion sponsored by Rep. Sani Zorro drawing attention to the numerous labour crises confronting the Federal Government, the House expressed concern over the consequences the looming industrial actions threatened by organised labour would cause the nation if they are not averted.

Rep. Zorro said the administration should immediately forward to the National Assembly, all the tripartite agreements it reached with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on the new minimum wage, striking university lecturers over funding of the nation’s public universities and other unions for legislative action.

The House member in his lead debate stated that sending an executive bill to the National Assembly on the new minimum wage is significant because it has the propensity to avert the looming industrial action that is capable of paralyzing the country’s socio- economic and political life.

Similarly, the House raised concerns over the lingering rift between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and recent protest by workers of the National Assembly, declaring that the labour crises had become one- too -many and required urgent parliamentary intervention.

The House queried government’s insensitivity to issues bothering on inadequate funding of public varsities and the decaying infrastructure in the affected institutions nationwide as raised by ASUU.

It called on the Federal Government to display good faith going forward, in implementing the agreement mutually reached between both sides.

According to the House, such goodwill will not only enhance industrial harmony in the sector, but will also improve educational development of the country.

The House in adopting the motion further resolved to set up a joint Senate- House special panel to investigate the immediate and remote causes of Tuesday’s industrial action by staff of the National Assembly over alleged poor working conditions.

The lawmakers explained that it was spurred in passing the resolutions in the national interest based on its established tradition of interventions that have in the past helped to resolve many labour disputes.

They expressed worry over Tuesday’s picketing carried out by National Assembly workers which disrupted legislative and administrative activities as well as worries by parents about the lingering ASUU strike over the deploring state of Nigerian universities.