Negotiation on new minimum wage, misplaced priority -Group tells FG, labour
By Stephen Gbadamosi
A group, The Democratic Movement (TDM), has called for the suspension of negotiation on new minimum for Nigerian workers, describing it as a misplaced priority.
The group, in a statement issued on Sunday, said what Nigerians needed now was price control and not increment in workers’ salary as being demanded by leadership of organized labour.
In the statement signed by its national coordinator, Comrade Adesina Akinpelu, TDM threatened legal action to stop implementation of a new minimum wage in Nigeria.
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The group called the attention of the government and organized labour to the fact that not all Nigerians being affected by the worsening economic situation in the country were salary earners.
The group said increment in salaries would further increase inflation rate and further devaluation of the naira, calling for measures that would cater for all categories of Nigerians.
TDM urged both Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to shift their focus on compelling the government to control prices of essential commodities and ensure accurate data of all Nigerians.
The group said purchasing power of Nigerians would improve, if there was effective price control and government would be able to provide welfare packages to every citizen, if there was accurate database.
According to the group, sending palliatives and other welfare packages to Nigerians through state governors and National Assembly members was a waste of resources and encouraged corruption.
The statement reads in part:”These are the things will expected the organized labour to demand from the government; and not new minimum wage that will cause further economic crises in the country.
“NLC and TUC should think of millions of Nigerians who are not salary earners; they should think of the masses and even those who are jobless. There are many traders and artisan associations that are affiliates of the NLC.
“No struggle by the organized labour has ever succeeded without the support of the masses and the civil society. The labour leaders should not be seen as fighting only for salary earners.”
TDM also used the opportunity to call on all Nigerian activists that participated in the January 2012 fuel scarcity protest to come out now and prevail on the President Bola Tinubu-led government to control prices and obtain database of Nigerians.
