By Ebere Obinagwam
Ahead November 6, 2018 nationwide strike, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has aligned with the organised labour to commence a nationwide strike to compel the Federal Government to implement the national minimum wage of N30,000.
TUC President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, said that the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the body noted that the tripartite national minimum wage negotiating committee arrived at N30,000.
He said that the alleged governors’ agreement to pay N22,500 as minimum wage was not acceptable.
According to him, NEC rejected the amount on the grounds that the Governors’ Forum was not an established body empowered to negotiate new minimum wage, but the Tripartite Committee which includes the representatives of Governors, NECA, NACCIMA, etc.
He added that the Committee has concluded its job and came up with N30,000 and that TUC stood by the decision.
Besides, he condemned the statement that the Tripartite Committee on minimum wage did not agree on N30,000. “This is a travesty of history.” he said.
On the government white paper, he said, “NEC describes as abhorrent the government design to influence the tenure of union executive and members of unions negotiating team through its white paper and resolved that such attempts would be resisted.”
He said that the threat of ‘‘No Work, No Pay’ shall not deter the workers from carrying out legitimate duties to actualise the minimum wage.
“This time it will be no pay, no vote and no pay no work. We will vote out all irresponsible governors,” he said.
The NEC however enjoined the government to take note of International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 87, to which Nigeria is a signatory, saying that the convention allows the workers and employers to have the right to manage their affairs without government interference and therefore rejected the white paper which was meant to cripple labour agitation for the welfare of its members and the society in general.
Also, NEC advocated a review of Power Sector Privatisation after the stipulated five (5) years window period which ended on October 31, 2018.
“A responsible government should have reviewed its agreement to know their success stories before now. Nigerians are paying through their nose. More than 60 percent of Nigerians are still operating on estimated billing system even though the Federal High court judgment has told them to produce metres, still they have not because if there is no metre, they make more profit.
“Most companies have moved to our neigbouring countries because of electricity failure. We want government to wake up on its responsibilities and terminate their contract and look for technical know-how and capable hands.
“Nigerian’s can pay. This present people don’t have enough fund,” he said.
He also disclosed that the extra year they were demanding was their own manipulation.