Joseph Bakare
There are strong indications that the Labour Unions are taking strategic steps to mobilise their members to go on strike to push the demand for a new minimum wage.
The Labour Unions have expressed disappointment that the Presidency is yet to transmit the New National Minimum Wage Bill to the National Assembly.
Labour has demanded N30, 000 for the least paid worker, but the federal and state governments are offering N24, 000 and N22, 500.
According to Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) General Secretary Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, The workers’ union has asked its state councils to hold rallies in city centres beginning from January 8 to sensitise Nigerians on the looming action.
Ozo-Eson said: “The NEC approved that the protests should hold in all state capitals and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja on 8th January, 2019, and mandates all industrial unions and state councils to fully mobilise workers and coordinate with other labour unions for this mother of all protests.
He rejected the excuse that the National Assembly is on break which has stalled transmission of the bill, stating that the report of the tripartite committee has been with the President for about two months.
“Was the National Assembly on recess when the report was submitted? Didn’t the House of Representatives adopt a resolution calling on the President to transmit the bill?
“The notice expired on 31st December, 2018. When it was given, was the National Assembly on recess?
The scribe said: “We don’t do strike in secret. When we want to do our strike, we will publicly inform Nigerians. What we have directed state councils all over the country to do is that on January 8, they should hold sensitisation and mobilisation rallies across the country.
“That we have put in the public domain through our communique. When we want to give another directive, we will do so.”
Meanwhile, government has invited the Labour leadership to a meeting on Friday at the office of the Labour & Employment Minister, Dr. Chris Ngige to address issues raised by Labour and to brief them on efforts being made by the government.
A statement signed by the Director of Press in the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Samuel Olowokoore, states, “Towards nipping in the bud threat of national industrial action by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) over the transmission of the New National Minimum Wage to the National Assembly, the Minister of Labour & Employment Sen. Chris Ngige, is scheduled to hold a meeting with the Executives of the Organised Labour”.
The ministers of Finance and that Budget & National Planning are also expected at the meeting scheduled to begin from 10.30am.
Ngige, said that the Attorney-General of the Federation was studying the draft bill submitted by the tripartite committee along with the report to the President with a view to coming up with an executive bill which will be transmitted to National Assembly.
Also, government may have reached out to some influential Nigerians and former Labour leaders, including All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole to prevail on workers to drop the threat strike.
Oshiomhole recently threw his weight behind Labour in its quest for a new National minimum wage, saying Nigeria can afford to pay workers what he described as living wage.