The planned nationwide strike by the labour unions over a new minimum wage has been shelved for now.
The strike was scheduled to start on Tuesday.
Labour leaders, government representatives and organised private sector spent many hours on Monday to reach a consensus on a minimum wage.
Details later…
The Federal Government was struggling yesterday to stave off an all-workers strike over the controversial minimum wage.
Labour shunned a meeting called by the government and stepped up its plan for a nationwide strike called by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
The meeting was scheduled to hold at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
The indefinite strike is planned to start tomorrow due to the government’s failure to meet the labour union’s demand for a new national minimum wage.
Despite the labour unions absence, some government officials and members of the organised private sector met.
Those at the meeting included Secretary to the Government of the Federation Boss Mustapha; Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige; Minister of Finance Zainab Ahmed and some permanent secretaries.
Labour said it was not interested in the meeting.
Speaking before the meeting went into closed doors, Mustapha hinted that the tripartite committee set up by the Federal Government would be concluding its report today.
According to him, the Federal Government is waiting for the report so that it could begin the process leading to the enactment of the new minimum wage law.
He said the report would still go through the National Economic Council and the Council of State before an Executive Bill would be sent to the National Assembly on the matter.
The only outstanding issues left for the committee, he said, is to harmonise the 15th chapter of the report, harmonise figures and submit report to the President.
Mustapa said the meeting was part of the ongoing negotiation.
He said the meeting was to prepare a complete report to be submitted to the Presidency on the new National Minimum Wage.
Mustapha said the Tripartite Committee has been working assiduously, but though there were outstanding issues that needed to be dealt with, and that was the reason for the rescheduling of the meeting.
“Basically, the only outstanding issue to be dealt with was the harmonisation of the 5th chapter of the report, and thereafter get the figures to be submitted to the government.
“The inaugural speech by Mr President included some very salient points, that caused me to reflect on the work of this committee, and one of it is that there is emphasis that the committee will by consensual agreement arrival at all their decisions and I think that was very important.
” Mr president went further to emphasis that the concern is not only for the welfare of the workers but also every other thing should be taken on board as it affects the county’s economy,
“So, it is a balance of the welfare of the workforce with the effect of the new Minimum Wage on the economy.
“He also underpinned his speech by emphasising the fact we earn to go above basic social protection for Nigerian workers, but also tie to the ability to pay, because I know that a lot of states are even having difficulty meeting the basic minimum wage,” he said.
The SGF also noted that 27 states were faced with the difficulty in the payment of the basic minimum wage that was agreed, saying that he was not making any excuse for them.
He added that the meeting would continue tomorrow (Monday), thereafter members of the tripartite committee would continue with their meeting.
” I want to assure all of you that once the report is concluded and ready, I will personaly ensure that Mr President receives and signs it immediately,” he said.
President, United Labour Congress (ULC) Mr Joe Ajaero told NAN that members of the organised labour got the invitation to the meeting late.
“But hopefully, we will be around for tomorrow’s (Monday) meeting by 11a.m,” he said.
However, Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment gave the assurance that organised labour would be at the meeting on Monday.
According to him, they are not here today and they gave excuse why they are not here.
“We also want to say that we do not support the State governments’ N22,500 proposal and we have also said so.
“We also have our own figure and the Tripartite Committee meeting will look at it and the outcome of the Monday’s meeting will be a consensual, I am sure of that, ” he said.
He said: “I assure you that the government is waiting for the report and will immediately set up processes required for implementation.
“Hopefully, their work will be concluded when they meet tomorrow (today) and append their signatures to the report.
“They will then transmit to me and I will seek an audience with the President to present it to him.
“The report will go through NEC and Council of State before a draft executive bill will be sent to NASS.
“I am awaiting the report of the committee. They will meet tomorrow (today) at 11am.”
According to him, the ability to pay was critical in taking a decision on the minimum wage.
Mustapha noted that a lot of states are still finding it difficult to pay the N18,000 minimum wage.
To this end, he said the Federal Government gave out bailout for the purpose of helping the states to meet up.
Workers are asking for N30,000, but governors are offering N22,500.
NLC Secretary General Peter Oso-Esan: “We (NLC) are not aware of any meeting with the SGF over any matter. A government that gets an injunction against us without putting us on notice until we heard from the press has shown enough bad faith.
“Even if we were aware, we would not be interested to attend any meeting. The meeting we are aware of, which we are going to attend, is the tripartite committee meeting tomorrow in Abuja. That’s the one we plan to attend. That is the official position.”
Justice Sanusi Kado gave the order in a ruling on an ex parte application moved on behalf of the Federal Government by the Solicitor-General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr Dayo Apata.
Yesterday’s meeting was to have involved the organised Labour, the Organised Private Sector (OPS) and the government team led by the SGF.
The meeting was to be followed up by today’s meeting of the National Tripartite Minimum Wage Committee meeting
The minister appealed to all tripartite members to attend the meetings in the interest of the nation and finding a solution to the minimum wage impasse.
The United Labour Congress (ULC) at the weekend rejected the N22,500 minimum wage it claimed the Federal Government planned to pay as well as the N30,000 compromise wage of the Tripartite Committe.
It insisted on the original collective demand of N65,000 as an irreducible minimum.
Speaking with The Nation, the President of ULC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said the only figure that ULC now recognises is N65,000 or nothing else, adding that this shall be its demand ahead of the nation-wide strike tomorrow.
He said: “The offer to pay Nigerian workers the paltry sum of N22,500 as a new national minimum wage by the amorphous body, the Governors’ Forum, is not just contemptuous but negates the principles and spirit of social dialogue as envisioned by International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.
“It is therefore unacceptable and disdainful of the vast majority that makes up the nation’s workforce and indeed the masses that create the nation’s wealth. It immediately makes the N30,000 compromise figure an orphan.
“And having sadly realised that government is fully committed to frustrating and sabotaging the desire of Nigerian workers for a decent wage via a new minimum wage; and seeing the deployment of the subterfuge called the Governors’ Forum to disrupt and hijack the due processes known to the nation’s industrial relations space in reaching a new minimum wage for workers despite the fact that the governors were fully represented in the Tripartite Committee by six governors have become more justified, we are determined and committed to our joint efforts with other Labour Centres to defend Nigerian workers from the exploitative tendencies of this government.
Ajaero said a sensitive government was not expected to reject tested and proven frameworks and processes for civil engagement. “This is what the government has chosen to do,” he added.
Ajaero said it was unfortunate that the government would rather seek ways of keeping workers at the periphery of the nation’s economy. “Drafting in that inglorious political forum at this time is a clear sign that government is prepared to continue politicising the right of workers to an acceptable wage floor thus exacerbate the marginalisation and exploitation of Nigerian workers and masses. This is deplorable,” he said.
•‘We never agree to any figure’
The Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) has disowned the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) and Organised Labour on the new minimum wage issue, saying the chamber never agreed to the N30, 000 being claimed by the workers’ unions.
In a letter to the Chairman of the Tripartite Committee on the New National Minimum Wage, Ms. Ama Pepple, NACCIMA Chairman Dr. Maheeba Dankaka, said that the last figure offered by them before the committee adjourned was N22, 000.
According to Dr. Dankaka, NACCIMA never authorised NECA to enter into an agreement on its behalf as they constitute over 50 per cent of employers whose voice should be heard.
The letter reads: “We refer to the media reports on the above stated national minimum wage figure and the proposed industrial action by Organised Labour over a misconceived “agreement” on the sum of N30.000.00 as the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
“We were perplexed to learn that the sum/agreement was an outcome of the workings of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage (TCNMW) to which we are a member.
“At no time did NACClMA agree to such a figure. Rather, the last figure offered by us as part of the Organised Private Sector (OPS), was the sum of N22, 000 and negotiation was still on-going for the meeting to arrive at a consensus and not by moving a motion.
“We did not also authorise the representatives of NECA and Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN) to speak on our behalf.
“Recall that our members constitute about 50 per cent of employers in the Organised Private Sector (OPS), conversely, we do not want to speak for the thousands of employers in the informal economy whose voices have not been heard.
“Honourable Chairman, you must be mindful that the issue under discussion deal with the terms and conditions of work which must be placed within the wider context of enterprise sustainability.
“In view of the above, please find attached our press statement aimed at correcting the erroneous impression created by organised labour. We therefore suggest a reconvening of the TCNMW to continue and finalise the on-going negotiation on new National Minimum Wage.”
Organised Labour, under the aegis of the Trade Union Side (TUS) of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC), has urged the federal and state governments to implement the new National Minimum Wage or face the wrath of workers.
In a press statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, the TUS Chairman, Comrade Abdrafiu Alani Adeniji, and the Secretary, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal, regretted that instead of the Federal Government to send a bill to the National Assembly to enact the 2018 National Minimum Wage Act, it has elected to embark on a fruitless plot to subvert the entire negotiation that took more than one year to conclude.
“How can the Federal Government want to sabotage a democratically agreed National Minimum Wage that was even voted for and agreed upon by all the stakeholders.
“We call on the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) that participated actively and fully in the negotiation to speak out and tell the world the whole truth on what transpired before the new National Minimum Wage was arrived at,” the union stated.
The labour leaders noted that labour is in the Exclusive Legislative List and as such the Federal Government should proceed to enact the National Minimum Wage Act instead of trying to intimidate workers by invoking a primitive labour law of ‘no work no pay’ in this 21st century the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is harping on labour best practices.
“Nigerian workers are determined and no amount of intimidation will cow them from demanding for their right. The Federal Government should, therefore, send the National Minimum Wage Bill to the National Assembly without further delay.
“Once the Federal Government sends the new National Minimum Wage Bill to the National Assembly and it is passed into law, it will become binding on the state governments, and any of them that refuses to implement it will face the wrath of millions of Nigerian workers,” the labour leaders said.
According to the TUS, since state governors were represented at the Tripartite Committee that negotiated the new National Minimum Wage, it is surprising that the NGF, an illegal body, would turn round to express reservations on the recommendations of the panel.
“At Any rate, it must be admitted that some State Governors have publicly stated that they will implement the new National Minimum Wage.
“This is why we demand that the new National Minimum Wage should be enacted into law and Governors that refuse to implement it will meet millions of Nigerian workers at the polls during the forthcoming gubernatorial elections,” the union stated.
The TUS chieftains regretted that after members of the committee toured the six geopolitical zones and held several meetings in Abuja, their efforts were being truncated by the Federal Government.
“This is very unfortunate especially for a government that has continued to enjoy the goodwill of the people.
“The Federal Government should, therefore, take urgent steps to implement the new National Minimum Wage to reduce the suffocating poverty in the land,” the union added.
According to the labour leaders, while political office holders, including ministers, governors, and others, receive millions of naira monthly as emoluments, it is surprising that some of them are opposed to a National Minimum Wage of N30,000 that cannot even take care of the minimum needs of an average Nigerian worker.
The labour leaders pointed out that apart from their humongous emoluments, governors appropriate billions of naira as security votes that are not accounted for and they conveniently forget that we all go to the same market.
They posited that the Federal Government was taking the understanding shown by trade unions for granted, thinking that its anti-people policies would continue without resistance.
“But workers’ patience has been over-stretched. We, therefore, demand that the new National Minimum Wage should be implemented because the draconian law of no work no pay is not tenable and cannot deter determined Nigerian workers,” the union said.
THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has served a formal notice to the Federal Government that its members will begin an indefinite national strike from November 6, except the payment of N30,000 as new national minimum wage is adopted.
It accused Minister of Labour Senator Chris Ngige of feeding the public with half-truth about the work of the tripartite committee on the new National Minimum Wage and misleading the government into gagging workers and forcing them to become slaves, rather than workers.
Rising from its National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, the NLC said workers would not be intimidated by any threat of “no work, no pay”.
It noted that the government was trying to return the country to the dark days of the Abacha military regime by attempting to force workers not to protest inhuman treatment through nonpayment of salaries.
The Congress accused the Minister of Labour and Employment of trying to twist the truth by misinforming the public that the meeting of October 4 and 5, 2018 was inconclusive as the members of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage did not agree on a figure.
The NEC, which is the highest decision-making organ of the NLC, said the recent antics of Minister of Labour and Employment was anti-labour and anti-workers, especially with regards to the minister’s utterances, which it deemed as an act of bad faith intended to scuttle the work of the committee on the new national minimum wage.
It rejected and condemned the minister’s claims in the media that negotiations were still ongoing on the issue of a new National Minimum Wage, which implementation is already long overdue.
According to the NLC NEC, the latest posture by government was calculated to cow workers into submission as well as stop labour from protesting government’s foot dragging on the new national minimum wage and an assault on workers with the “no work, no pay” clause in the Trade Disputes Act.
The communique signed by the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba and General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, argued that fixing of tenure for workers holding union executive positions in contravention of the provisions of ILO Convention 87; and the prohibition or exclusion of non-card carrying members of trade unions from leading or being part of negotiation delegations of trade unions were reminiscent of the Abacha military era.
It resolved to “organise a national day of mobilisation and sensitisation rallies for workers to show their outrage and mourning in the 36 states of the federation and FCT on Tuesday.
The day, according to NLC NEC, will also be used to educate and sensitise Nigerians on the plight of workers and pensioners, the insensitivity and duplicity of government on labour issues, and to protest the proposed obnoxious policies of government against organised labour.
President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday received meeting proceedings of the National Minimum Wage Negotiation Tripartite Committee from the organised labour.
The document submitted to the President at the State House contained proceedings of all the meetings the Committee had including the resolution to have N30,000 as new minimum wage.
It was also gathered that the Presidency had demanded for the proceedings of the negotiation team when labour embarked on strike immediately the Federal Government suspended sine die the negotiation meeting.
It was gathered that the document also contained the resolution in which N30,000 was agreed as the proposed new minimum wage.
A reliable source said that the organised labour told the federal government to stop being the mouth piece of state governors in the negotiation.
The NLC is threatening to embark on strike on the 6th of November if the issues are not resolved.
The Federal Executive Council ( FEC ) has approved the implementation of the no-work, no pay principle when workers go on strike in the federal public service.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, disclosed this on Wednesday in the Presidential Villa, Abuja while briefing State House Correspondents after FEC meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said the approval was sequel to the adoption of the Draft White Paper on the Report of the Technical Committee on Industrial Relations Matters in the Federal Public Service.
Ngige said that the public service in Nigeria was bedevilled by problems and conflict areas; hence governments over time set up various committees and brought out circulars in a bid to stem the tide of industrial dispute.
The minister said that the technical committee, which was inaugurated on April 27, 2016, did their work and submitted to the FEC in Oct. 2017.
“FEC in turn, empanelled a committee of ten which I chaired to do a government Draft White Paper on those contentious areas that the technical committee had looked at.
“These contentious areas are enforcement of section 43 of the Trade Dispute Act Law of the Federation 2004; this is the section that deals with lockout of workers by their employers without declaring redundancy appropriately.
“Because in some establishments, especially in the private sector, workers are locked out by their employers; so the law there says that if you lock your workers without passing through the normal channel-due process.
“For the period of the lock out, the worker is assumed to be at work and will receive all the remunerations and allowances, benefits accruing to him for the period and that period will also be counted for him as a pensionable period in the computation of his pension.
“But when workers go on strike, the principle of no-work-no-pay will also apply because that principle is enshrined in the same section 43 of the Labour Act.’’
According to Ngige, the section says that for the period a worker withdraws his services, government or his employers are not entitled to pay.
The minister said that under the section, the period for which the worker was absent would not count as part of his pensionable period in the public service.
He said that FEC accepted it as a white paper recommendation that should be gazetted because even the National Industrial Court had made pronouncement on that law and said that it was clear.
Ngige said that another area was the issue of public servants remaining permanently in the executive bodies on trade unions.
“Government realises that some persons in the public service go into trade union executive positions; hold offices; and they do that for life; for as long as they are in the service.
“In doing so, they will refuse postings and deployments under the guise that are doing trade union activities; government says no.
“You have to be a public servant first before you become a trade unionist; therefore, if you are there; the public service rules will also apply to you.
“And in doing so, government says establishments will look at the issues and give it a human face in order not to disrupt trade unionism.
“And in furtherance to this, government has also said that there must tenure stipulations because people stay there without tenure; many organisations give people union positions without tenure; government says there is no office that does not have tenure.’’
Ngige said that trade unions, henceforth, should present constitutions that must have tenures; at least, maximum of two tenures for any elective position.
He said that another aspect of the report discussed by the council was the issue of residence training for medical doctors.
According to him, the residence training for medical doctors has been contentious one as some medical doctors come into this training and become professional unionists and stay there as permanent job.
He said that the Federal Government had fixed tenure for residence training of medical doctors, which was seven years within the trainee was to pass all his exams or quit.
Ngige said that FEC also looked at the Ayere report on inter-professional rivalry in the health sector and directed the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) to present it FEC for deliberation.
On the minimum wage, the minister restated that the Federal Government’s stance was N24, 000 per month.
He said that once minimum wage was fixed, any organisation or state that had the capacity to pay more could do that.
Ngige cited that Edo, Delta and Lagos states paid their workers more than the current N18, 000 national minimum wage.
A LABOUR leader, Mr. Joe Ajaero, said yesterday that the organised labour would never sign any agreement with the Federal Government on new National Minimum Wage, which is less than N30, 000.
Ajaero, who is United Labour Congress (ULC) President, said in Lagos that the tripartite committee agreed that N30,000 would be paid at the end of its negotiation as the new Minimum Wage for workers.
“N24, 000 can never be the new Minimum Wage for workers. If the government pays it, then it is an award,” Ajaero added.
He said it was sad that N30, 000 was adopted by the tripartite committee, but the representatives of government announced N24, 000.
The ULC leader insisted that the organised labour would stand against it and would not sign any document, which does not reflect the true deliberation by the tripartite committee.
He added that the committee had concluded its meeting on the new wage and labour was expecting the government to invite them to sign an agreement on the decision.
“No more meetings. A date has been fixed to sign an agreement on the figure agreed. On that day, if the amount is not what the tripartite committee agreed, the organised labour will not sign,” he said.
On November 27, 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the appointment of a 30-member tripartite National Minimum Wage Committee for the negotiation of a new national minimum wage.
Labour collectively demanded for N65,000 per month as the new Minimum Wage for all workers as harmonised by the organised labour.
However, after many delays on reaching an agreement on the figure, the NLC, TUC and the ULC on September 26 went on a two-day nationwide warning strike, to protest government’s delay on the wage by not allowing the committee conclude its job.
The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) has said the organised labour has exhibited the highest level of civility, patience and respect for due process in the quest for a national minimum wage.
It declared that the demand for an increase in the minimum wage and the nationwide strike declared by labour to achieve it was justified by all economic indices.
Speaking to reporters in Abuja, MHWUN President Comrade Biobelemoye said: “Permit us to restate at this juncture that the justification for a new minimum wage cannot be overemphasised, while all the indices that justify wage increase have either been introduced by the government or market-driven forces have propelled their emergence.
“Under this administration, the pump price of petroleum products have been increased; the currency has been devalued with consequential effects on workers and the citizenry. We have unbearable electricity tariffs, punitive exchange rate and hyper inflation, all of which have led to a rising cost of living for workers and other Nigerians.
“Sadly too, we are yet to feel the impacts of government’s promise to mitigate these hardships even with the setting up of a palliatives committee to fashion out strategy, policies and programmes to cushion the vagaries of its policies,” he said.
According to Biobelemoye, the government’s disregard for collective bargaining agreement reached with workers has earned it the toga of an administration that has no regard for the welfare of workers.
He made reference to the crisis in the health sector and how the government has, till today, failed to respect all the agreements reached with health workers.