Minimum Wage: Labour to begin nationwide strike Nov 6

The organised labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the United Labour Congress (ULC), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have condemned the foot-dragging by the Federal Government over giving a nod to the N30, 000 agreed upon by the organised private sector and the organised labour, in the tripartite committee, formed to resolve the issue of an increase in workers Minimum Wage from N18, 000 to N30, 000.

The labour has therefore issued a November 6 deadline for another nationwide strike, insisting that the government is deliberately causing confusion between the parties involve in the negotiation process.

In a joint statement signed by the presidents of the three labour centres, they faulted the silence from the organised private sector and urged them to verify the facts discussed during the recent meetings.

“Thus far, the path to a new national minimum wage has been expectedly littered with betrayal, resistance, half-truths and now almost outright sabotage.

That is why it has become urgent that Nigerians are informed of the insistence of the Federal Government to deliberately create confusion and make the negotiations for a new national minimum wage inconclusive as usual.

“We believe that it has become necessary for the Organised Private Sector (OPS) as represented in the Tripartite Committee to speak up on this matter.

Keeping silent in the face of this apparent mischief does our nation no good. It can only help mischief, dishonesty and impunity to grow.

At this time, the OPS does not have any other choice but to rise to the occasion by telling Nigerians what transpired in the meeting.

“If nothing is responsibly done by the Federal Government to meet our demands, on Monday, the 6th day of November, we shall embark on a nation-wide strike to compel this government to show more sensitivity to the plight of Nigerians and the suffering that is decimating our people on daily basis,” the stated.

The organised labour tasked the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to do right, what it termed ‘wrong’, on the issue of the ‘no work, no pay’, it recently approved, as a weapon to destabilise the Nigerian workers.

“A nation where Governments owe its workforce several months in arrears of unpaid salaries has not sought ways to eliminate, it is rather seeking ways to gag same workers from protesting this crime against them and their families.

“It is akin to ‘’beating a child and denying him the right to cry’’. Has the Government considered ‘’No Pay, No Work’?’ Has it considered criminalising non-payment of workers; salaries?

Has it considered paying arrears of salaries with interests? Of course, it has not! They are only interested in “No Work, No Pay” seeking ways to constantly gag and put workers in a strait jacket has always been their pastime.

“It is indeed a shame that the FEC will seek to muzzle freedom of expression and democratic dissent as a weapon for governance in a democracy.

We had expected the Government to have respect and honour for dialogue rather than its continued show of disdain and contempt for civil conversations.

Resorting to the use of power as a means of relating with the citizenry has a deep and dangerous portend not just for Industrial relations in Nigeria but for government’s tolerance of opposing views and democratic norms.

This leaves us worried about government’s thinking and mindset towards the 2019 general elections”.