By Eberechi Obinagwa
Members of the organised labour have given the federal government 14 days to rescind its decision to halt the implementation of new national minimum wage or face a nationwide strike.
The unions, who spoke through the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president, Ayuba Wabba, in a press conference in Lagos, said the Tripartite committee had been working on the minimum wage only to be told by the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, that they should put their work on hold because the government is not ready for the implementation of the new wage.
His words: “His pronouncement came at a time the committee was finalising its work of arriving at a definite figure for submission to government.
“We view his latest pronouncement with great concern, suspicion and outrage.
“This new antic certainly is not acceptable to Nigerian workers who had expected a new national minimum wage since 2016 but who out of uncommon sacrifice and patriotism hearkened to government’s appeal and the process was delayed.
“We wish to recollect that the National Minimum Wage Committee was inaugurated in November 2017 but commenced work in March 2018 with time lines to deliver on its mandate of arriving at a new national minimum wage in August/ September 2018.
“In the course of the work of the Committee, members had the ample time to consult. In any case, the Committee was satisfied that it received memoranda and inputs from 21 state governments, specialized agencies of the Federal Government, the organised private sector, organised labour and the general public.
“We even recall that Dr. Ngige himself had assured workers during the 40th anniversary celebration of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in February
this year that workers should expect a new national minimum wage in September this year.
“We wonder what has gone amiss between February 28 and now. Or do we assume that the Honourable Minister is acting a script?,” he queried.
He said the minister’s pronouncement is capable of rubbishing the work of the Committee as well as raising serious concerns about the readiness of the Government to accede to the putting together of a new national minimum wage.
He explained that the Minister’s pronouncement has generated considerable tension among workers and provoked sharp reactions from the unions which justifiably argue that the Government is only out to waste the time of workers and is not prepared to pay a new national minimum wage.
He said the increase in the pump price of petroleum products, and that of electricity tariff, the massive devaluation of the Naira leading to hyper-inflation, have made the new national minimum wage not only necessary but urgent.
