Mohammed Shosanya
The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, says it has not changed its demand for N250,000 minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
The union conveyed its position in a statement signed by its Acting President,Comrade Adewale Adeyanju, at the instance of President Bola Tinubu’s claim in his Democracy Day speech that has labour has reached
agreement with the federal government and the employers on the base figure for a National Minimum Wage and other components.
The statement quoted Adeyanju as saying that labour not been given any compelling reasons to change this position which it considers a great concession by Nigerian workers during the tripartite negotiation process.
The statement said:”We are therefore surprised at the submission of Mr. President over a supposed agreement. We believe that he may have been misled into believing that there was an agreement with the NLC and TUC. There was none and it is important that we let the President, Nigerians and other national stakeholders understand this immediately to avoid a mix up in the ongoing conversation around the national minimum wage. We have also not seen a copy of the document submitted to him and will not accept any doctored document”.
The union reaffirmed its belief that the President on whose table the Tripartite Committee’s report presently resides would prepare an Executive Bill which content will reflect the true demand of Nigerian workers.
According to the statement,the development is an opportunity for President Tinubu to demonstrate his love for Nigerian workers and masses by shunning the pieces of advise that may be coming from those whose intentions are continuously focused on hurting the poor and struggling workers of Nigeria.
The union advised Tinubu not to allow groups to sabotage his promise of lifting Nigerian workers out of poverty.
The statement quoted that President’s advisers did not tell him the truth that the leaders of the trade unions were intimidated and harassed.
It added:”It is therefore important that Mr. President understands that we were threatened severally by his operatives perhaps without his consent. Series of media Propaganda calculated to intimidate and harass us were, and, are still being waged against the trade unions by senior officials of this government.
“Fully armed soldiers surrounded us while we were in a negotiation with the Government and despite denials, recent statements by senior officials of the Government reaffirmed our fears contrary to the assurances by the Government. However, we remain assured that the President’s democratic credentials will come to the fore in favour of Nigerian workers and masses.
“It is also important that Mr. President should know that most of his officers are working round the clock to set up the leadership of congress and the trade unions. We never agreed on a 5-year duration of the minimum wage Act though we acknowledge that the President mentioned 5 years or less. We also agreed that inflation should be pegged at a level for certain amount to be agreed as minimum wage. This is to bring clarity to what the report should contain.
“Once again,we reiterate that it will be extremely difficult for Nigerian workers to accept any national minimum wage figure that approximates to a starvation Wage. We cannot be working and yet remain in abject poverty. We seek justice, equity and fairness for all Nigerians and this we hope would also drive the actions of Mr. President who promised a Living Wage to Nigerian workers”.
