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Tag: Nigeria Labour Congress

  • New minimum wage: Senate may capture domestic workers

    –Bill passes first, second reading

     

    The new national minimum wage Bill transmitted to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday passed the crucial first and second reading on Thursday in the Senate.

    This was as the upper chamber planned to accommodate domestic workers of politically exposed persons in the implementation of the new salary structure.

    The Bill, entitled “Approval of a new national minimum wage for Nigerian workers-amendment of the national minimum wage (amendment) Act, 2011” prescribed N27,000 flat rate as minimum wage.

    The Senate suspended its rules to take the first and second reading of the Bill as was suggested by the Senate Leader, Senator Ahmed Lawan.

    Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu who presided, noted that the consideration of the new wage Bill was the first time the Senate read Executive Communication and suspended its standing rules to consider it.

    Ekweremadu added that they would constitute ad-hoc committee to work with relevant stakeholders to produce acceptable report for the Senate to approve.

    He noted that the Bill limited those to benefit from the new wage structure to places with not less than 25 workers.

    He said that the implication is that domestic workers in places with less than 25 workers would be excluded.

    He asked the ad-hoc committee to address the issue during its public hearing.

    Ekweremadu who spoke on the second reading of the Bill said: “Let me congratulate the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and all those who have brought this to this point. I would also like to thank my Distinguished Colleagues for the speedy consideration of this Bill.

    “This will be the first time the 8th Senate is reading an Executive Communication and suspending our rules to take a First and Second Reading and assigning the Bill to a Committee, all in one day. This shows how committed we are to this issue.

    “I believe what we have said so far will suffice in guiding the Committee. Just to clarify: the new minimum wage brought to us is set at N27,000. There were news reports of N27,000 for state workers and N30,000 for the Federal Government workers, but this is a single national minimum wage of N27,000.

    “Another issue of concern is whether this affects organisations and establishments employing less than 25 persons.

    “If this does not affect these people; it means a whole number of people are left outside the minimum wage and that is not right. In most countries, the minimum wage applies to all workers, regardless of the number of people in an establishment.

    “I believe that at the public hearing, we will be able to clarify and sort it all out. We must try our best to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor.

    “There is an argument about the ability of State Governments to pay. If they reduce their wage bill and other costs, they will be able to pay.

    “I suggest that they look inward and collect more taxes. I am not advocating that they should increase taxes, but they should increase the drive to collect more taxes.”

    Lawan in his lead debate in support of the Bill said that the proposed legislation is the work of the Federal and State Governments irrespective of political persuation.

    He described the Bill as critical especially because it has to do with the welfare of workers in the country.

    The Senate Leader informed that the N27,000 prescription as national minimum wage had already been agreed upon by stakeholders.

    He said that the Bill should be given accelerated consideration and passed so that its implementation could begin in 2019.

    Read Also: New Minimum Wage Bill passes first reading in Senate

    The financial implications of the Bill, he said, would be worked out during the consideration of the 1019 budget.

    The Yobe North senator noted that though the 27,000 minimum wage may not be what the workers need, but it is a step forward that could be improved in future.

    The Minority Leader, Senator Biodun Olujimi, who also spoke in favour of the Bill, described it’s as the most important Bill in the life of the 8th Senate.

    Olujimi noted that though the 27,000 minimum wage may not be enough, it is an improvement on N18,000 minimum wage.

    She, however, warned that the proposed new minimum wage should not be a political gimmick in an election year.

    She said, “Most States have said that they cannot pay. The Federal Government should sit down with State Governments to work out how the new wage would be accommodated by State Governments.”

     

  • I am ready to pay N30,000 minimum wage – Gov. Emmanuel

    The Akwa Ibom State governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel has said paying the new minimum wage in the state is not a problem.

    Speaking on Monday in Uyo during consultation with the Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress, United Labour and other affiliated unions said the state government is only waiting on the Federal government to decide on the new minimum wage so that it can implement in the state.

    He said labour is the bedrock of development in any nation and commended the unions for their support so far, adding that he has fulfilled his promises to the unions.

    He stated that even when allocations from the Federal government was still pending, he sourced for money to make sure salaries were paid.

    “Labour is the key to development. You cannot relegate labour to the background.

    “Minimum wage has never been an issue, it is just that it has been a matter of legislation. We are waiting for directions from the Federal government, once the direction is given, we will pay.

    “In the face of circumstances and what we face in this country, I have done my best to make sure that workers do not suffer. I pay salaries in circumstances that I do not receive allocation. You did not elect me to make excuses but to find solution to problems.

    “I have demonstrated capacity yesterday and can look into the future. I am here today because you people have strengthened me to be here and made it possible for me to be here, and we can talk and negotiate. I thank labour for the fantastic relationship between the labour and us.

    Read Also: Emmanuel calls for redeployment of CP

    “The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) has the best blueprint for workers in the country. We need your support in the usual manner to support us in the coming election. Today is the day for consultation. I want to thank God for the leadership of the labour and for this state. It is not in every state that labour sits like this with the governor,” he said.

    Earlier, the Nigeria Labour Congress State Chairman, Comrade Etim Ukpong said labour is  a very economicially and socially variable group, adding that he was happy the governor knows the labour has given him support.

    He said the workers are appreciative of what the governor and was he has done, and hope that he would fulfill all outstanding promises to them.

    “Over three and a half years, there had been no labour restiveness in Akwa Ibom State because you are working with people who can manage the situation.

    “Your coming gives us the satisfaction that we are working with somebody who understand the meaning of labour union. We welcome you here, you saw how the labour leaders welcomed you.

    “They appreciate you and what your government has spent during the period as governor, and as you are leaving this place, you will address what the people what to hear. Our workers want to see the consultation in action” he stated.

     

  • I have no problem with 30,000 minimum wage – Gov. Bello

    Governor Abubakar Bello of Niger State has pledged to support the N30,000 minimum wage demand by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).

    He said that his administration has always given priority to the welfare of workers in the state since 2015.

    He said this during a meeting with officials and members of the state Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday in Minna.

    The NLC delegation was at the government house to register their protest against the delay in the transmission of the National Minimum Wage to the National Assembly.

    Bello expressed his administration’s readiness to comply with the demand of NLC as soon it was implemented by the Federal government.

    According to him, there is need to look into workers welfare in order to improve their standard of living and service delivery.

    “I am 100 per cent in support of the need to look at whatever is happening on how to improve the life and standard of living of our people.

    “I have no problem with the implementation of the payment of N30,000 minimum wage to our workers, as I believe this matter will soon be put to rest.

    “The welfare of our workers is something we have to look into properly,” he said.

    Bello said that as part of efforts to improve workers welfare, government had released N30 billion for the payment of pension and death gratuity.

    He noted that President Muhammadu Buhari was concerned about the welfare of civil servants in the country and had made provision for the N30,000 minimum wage in the 2019 budget.

    Earlier, Mr Idris Ndako, the NLC Chairman in Niger, called for the urgent implementation of the N30,000 minimum wage.

    He described civil servants as partners in progress and machineries that drive the country’s economy.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mr Benson Upah, who represented NLC President Ayuba Wabba, led the protest to the government house.

    NAN

  • 2019: no minimum wage, no elections, NLC declares

    The Cross River Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, ( NLC ) says it will not participate in the 2019 general elections if the federal and state governments fail to implement the N30,000 minimum wage.

    The state NLC Chairman, Mr John Ushie, made the declaration on Tuesday during a peaceful protest in Calabar to press home the workers’ demand for the implementation of the minimum wage.

    Ushie said that the current minimum wage of N18,000 had become obsolete since 2015, and accused the Federal Government of playing on the intelligence of workers’ by holding several fruitless meetings to avert strike.

    The chairman decried the long period the minimum the wage bill had been with the Presidency with no plans of transmitting it to the National Assembly for passage into law.

    “Labour will continue the struggle until we get victory. Victory does not come easy, it will require all our energy, and it will require us to put all.

    “The minimum wage is long overdue since 2015. Workers have run out of patience, so we are here to take our destinies in our hands.

    “We are here to protest because it is a national directive; we will do so until we get a commitment from government concerning the N30,000 minimum wage and when it will be enacted into law.

    “Secondly, we are here to send a message to President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately transmit the minimum wage bill to the National Assembly for passage, so that the money can get to Nigerian workers without further delay.

    “If the Federal Government and governors say no to minimum wage, we also say there is no vote for them; no election,’’ he said.

    He said that the rally will culminate into an indefinite strike if nothing was done quickly by the Federal Government.

    Also, Mr Boniface Isok, a national officer of the NLC, who said he was in Calabar to monitor the rally, maintained that workers would not participate in the 2019 general elections if the minimum wage was not implemented.

    Read Also: Buhari calls for respect for democracy in Gabon

    Isok said that the organised labour would not hesitate to embark on an indefinite strike if the Federal Government failed to transmit the bill to the National Assembly.

    “Anytime the Federal Government heard that we want to go on strike, they will fix a meeting with no reason for it. This time, we are not giving a notice for strike.

    “The Federal Government wants to hold the 2019 general elections without implementing the minimum wage because they know that once the election is held, that becomes the end of the minimum wage.

    “If the Federal Government does not sign the minimum wage bill into law, there will be no election. We are ready for them this time,’’ he said.

  • Minimum wage: We have not declared strike, says NLC

    The Nigeria Labour Congress on Monday put to rest speculations of a nationwide strike action which is supposed to begin on Tuesday, saying it has not called for any strike action to protest the delay in transmitting the minimum wage bill to the National Assembly.

    General Secretary of Congress, Dr.  Peter Ozo-Eson said in a statement that what the congress has called for was a day of protest and mobilization across the states of the federation to sensitize Nigerians and workers on the minimum wage issue.

    The NLC scribe said the National Day of protest does not translate into a strike action, adding that whenever labour decides on a date for a national strike, Nigerians will be informed accordingly.

    The statement reads “It has come to our attention that some section of the news media has largely misrepresented our action plan in reaction to the delay in transmitting the recommendations of the Tripartite Committee on a new National Minimum Wage to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    Read Also: NLC seeks review of tax policy

    “It should be recalled that the National Executive Council of NLC met on 17th of December last year and directed that we hold nationwide mobilization of workers and our allies if by 31st December 2018 the bill on the National Minimum Wage has yet to be sent to the National Assembly to be passed as an Act of Parliament.

    “We immediately announced then that on Tuesday, 8th January 2019, there will be a nationwide mass mobilization and protests simultaneously across all states in Nigeria. This does not translate to a strike.

    “It is on record that each time we had cause to embark on a national strike, we say so publicly without any equivocation. We still don’t understand where the story about a strike commencing tomorrow came from.

    “Already, all our State Councils, affiliate unions and allies in other pro people mass organizations now popularly referred to as Civil Society Organizations have been fully informed and mobilized to ensure the success of tomorrow’s mass protests in all the states and the Federal Capital Territory.

    “When a date is decided for the commencement of a strike subsequently, we will inform the public appropriately.”

  • FG to NLC: drop ultimatum on minimum wage

    The Federal Government pleaded yesterday with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to drop its threat of industrial action at the end of the month over the proposed N30,000 national minimum wage.

    Reacting to the 10-day ultimatum issued on Thursday by the labour leadership to the federal authorities to transmit the minimum wage bill to the National Assembly for consideration immediately, Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed advocated ‘continuous engagement’ between the two sides with a view to resolving their differences.

    “Continuous engagement, I think, is the key. We will continue to engage them and I think they do also fully understand what the challenges are, and both parties are determined to ensure that a common ground is arrived at, which will be comfortable for all,” Mohammed told reporters after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    But the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) claimed that the delay by the federal government in forwarding the minimum wage bill to the National Assembly was a demonstration of acute insensitivity to the plight of Nigerian workers, their families and ordinary citizens.

    The NLC also condemned what it described as sustained deployment of brute force by political office holders to harass, hound and victimise workers and labour leaders, vowing that such actions would no longer be acceptable to workers in the country.

    The Information Minister described the NLC as “a very patriotic union”, and expressed confidence that it would do nothing capable of embarrassing the government or Nigerians.

    His words: “The Nigeria Labour Congress is a very patriotic union and I am very confident that they will not do anything that will embarrass the government or do anything that is going to worsen the situation.

    Labour accuses FG of insensitivity, vows to mobilise workers against govs

    The National Executive Council of the NLC also met in Abuja yesterday to review the minimum wage issue, branding federal government’s handling of the matter as a demonstration of acute insensitivity to the plight of Nigerian workers, their families and ordinary citizens.

    The NLC NEC also condemned alleged sustained deployment of brute force by political office holders to harass, hound and victimize workers and labour leaders.

    It vowed that such harassments would no longer be tolerated.

    It spoke of plan to embark on a national sensitization of workers from January 8, 2019, especially against state governors who have formed the habit of not paying workers’ salaries.

    In a communique signed by NLC President Wabba and the General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, the congress said: “The continued delay by the Federal Government to transmit the Bill of the new national minimum wage to the National Assembly for enactment into law is unacceptable.

    “This leisurely conduct of serious state affairs is even after the National Assembly had passed a resolution urging the President and the executive branch of government to transmit the new national minimum wage amendment bill to it for consideration and passage into law.

    “The NEC expressed total dissatisfaction with the consequential delay and unacceptable lethargy in the process of regularising and implementing the new national minimum wage of N30,000. “The calculated inaction of the Federal Government is a demonstration of acute insensitivity to the plight of Nigerian workers, their families and ordinary citizens”

    It took strong exception to alleged unrelenting attitude of the Ogun State Government to frustrate efforts to peacefully reinstate the NLC chairman in Ogun State, Comrade Akeem Ambali, who was sacked by the state government in the middle of a 2016 strike action to protest injustice against Ogun State workers.

    The NLC said: “The Comrade has been made to suffer unfair treatment for nearly two years on account of the performance of his legitimate duties. This ugly situation has persisted despite repeated emissaries sent to the Ogun State governor to reconsider his unsupportable position on the issue.

    “The entrenched insensitivity by some state governments and other political office holders to the plight of workers and pensioners, especially in the states owing several months of salary arrears, unpaid pension and gratuity of retired workers.

    “It is most unfortunate that many of the governors diverted a significant part of the bailout funds and the Paris Club Refund initiatives meant to offset salaries, pension and gratuity owed workers and pensioners for purposes of personal aggrandizement and to fund non-impactful frivolous programmes and projects.

    “The NEC demanded a full investigation by the EFCC of the disbursement of all bailout, Paris Club refund and budget support releases to the states.”

    Besides, it condemned “the trampling upon the fundamental human rights and freedom of association by the Ogun State Governor especially pertaining to the irresponsible purported proscription of trade union rights in Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu-Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.

    “The NEC also denounced the continued refusal to pay the salaries of workers in the College of Education for nearly three years.

    “The NEC expressed grief for the needless loss of lives and unbearable suffering by workers of the Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu-Ijebu Ode, as a result of Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s flagrant disrespect of the rights of workers of the Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu-Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, to their wages and salaries;

    “To further engage the Ogun State Government, for the final time, for a peaceful resolution of the issues already highlighted and the reinstatement of the Chairman of the Ogun State Council, Comrade Akeem Ambali. Thereafter, in the spirit of “injury to one is an injury to all”, the NLC may be left with no option than to mobilize workers all over Nigeria for sustained industrial action in Ogun State;

    “That all state governments still owing workers arrears of salaries, pension and gratuity must settle all their wage liabilities before the 2019 general election. The NEC reiterates its earlier directives to workers all over the country not only to vote out State Governors and other political office holders owing workers but also, to mobilize their families and friends to ensure that all elected public office holders who are not worker-friendly are voted out of office in the forthcoming 2019 general elections.

    “Nigerian workers are also directed to support in full force the re-election bid of all state governors and political office holders who are worker-friendly and up to date in the payment of workers’ salaries and gratuity cum pension for retired workers.”

    The NLC also protested what it called the un-abating neglect of the education sector by both the Federal and State governments.

    It said: “This utter abandonment of the development of the human capital of our country has been chiefly exemplified by the refusal of government to respect the agreement it freely entered with ASUU, especially the Memorandum of Action of November 2017.”

    On its planned nationwide mobilization of workers on the delay by the Federal Government in transmitting, enacting and implementing the new national minimum wage of N30,000,it said the protests should “hold in all State capitals and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja on 8th January, 2019. The NEC mandates all industrial unions and state councils to fully mobilise workers and coordinate with other labour unions for this mother-of-all protest.”

    It asked the Federal Government to honour its 2017 Memorandum of Action (MoA) Agreement with ASUU in order to restore sanity and raise the quality of the products of our public universities.

  • Minimum wage: FG insensitive to workers, says NLC

     

    • Vows to mobilise workers against governors

    The delay in forwarding a bill to the National Assembly on the new minimum wage by the federal government is a demonstration of insensitivity to the plights of workers, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has stated.

    The Congress also condemned what it described as sustained deployment of brute force by political office holders to harass, hound and victimise workers and labour leaders.

    Such actions, it said, will no longer to acceptable to workers in the country.

    Rising from the National Executive Council meeting, the Congress said it planned to embark on sensitisation of workers beginning from January 8, especially against governors in the habit of not paying salaries.

    In a communique signed by the President and General Secretary of Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, the Congress said: “The continued delay by the Federal Government to transmit the Bill of the new national minimum wage to the National Assembly for enactment into law is unacceptable.

    “This leisurely conduct of serious state affairs is even after the National Assembly had passed a Resolution urging the President and the Executive branch of government to transmit the new national minimum wage amendment bill to it for consideration and passage into law.

    “The NEC expressed total dissatisfaction with the consequential delay and unacceptable lethargy in the process of regularizing and implementing the new national minimum wage of N30,000.

    “The calculated inaction of the Federal Government is a demonstration of acute insensitivity to the plight of Nigerian workers, their families and ordinary citizens.”

    The Congress particularly took strong exceptions to the unrelenting attitude of the Ogun State Government to frustrate efforts to peacefully reinstate NLC chairman in Ogun State, Comrade Akeem Ambali, who was sacked in the middle of a 2016 strike action to protest injustice against Ogun State workers.

    “The Comrade has been made to suffer unfair treatment for nearly two years on account of the performance of his legitimate duties.

    “This ugly situation has persisted despite repeated emissaries sent to the Ogun State Governor to reconsider his unsupportable position on the issue.

    “The entrenched insensitivity by some state governments and other political office holders to the plight of workers and pensioners especially in the States owing several months of salary arrears, unpaid pension and gratuity of retired workers.

    “It is most unfortunate that many of the governors diverted a significant part of the bailout funds and the Paris Club Refund initiatives meant to offset salaries, pension and gratuity owed workers and pensioners for purposes of personal aggrandisement and to fund non-impactful frivolous programmes and projects.

    “The NEC demanded a full investigation by the EFCC of the disbursement of all bailout, Paris Club Refund and Budget support releases to the States.”

     

     

     

  • Labour is at it again!

    Our problem is more fundamental than just salary increase

    Organised labour missed the point on Thursday when the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president, Ayuba Wabba, led other labour unionists to the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to bare their minds on certain burning national issues, including the bogus pay our lawmakers earn, minimum wage review and sundry other matters. Although the labour leaders were right when they said that the lawmakers themselves constituted drain pipes, considering what they take home, but they failed to call the lawmakers’ pay the proper name it should be called, i.e. corruption, given the steady rise their allocation has been witnessing, from about N23.347billion in 2003 to its current N150billion; and in spite of the downturn in the country’s economy.  And, despite the fact that minimum wage in the country has remained at the paltry N18,000 per month since 2010! Can anything be more callous and ungodly?

    Anyway, I won’t waste too much time on that because a lot has been said on it and we should be awaiting the review of the National Assembly budget that Senator Saraki promised when the issue took the front burner of national discourse a few weeks ago. We will always return to that again in full force if mum continues to be the word from him, in the usual expectation that Nigerians would soon forget the issue.

    My concern today is Labour’s notice to the senate president to the effect that it would soon come with a new National Minimum Wage proposal which the congress wants the senate to quickly approve in view of the country’s present economic realities. The NLC seemingly has a point to want to push for an upward review of the present minimum wage because if salary is expected to take people home, it has since failed in that regard. A time there was when Fela sang that 20 kobo bean cake was too small (akara nko, 20 kobo for one; na janjala e be); these days, I doubt if there is anything like that, not even in the rural areas. Moreover, at the current exchange rate of N242 to the dollar, the average Nigerian worker earns about $75 in a month, just a little more than $2 a day. Pray, what can anyone do with this? Yet, we don’t want people to steal. Yet, we want people to put in their best. Are we not deceiving ourselves?

    I sympathise with Labour on this matter, especially given its unassailable reasons to justify its position. As a matter of fact, too, I do not expect any member of the National Assembly with conscience to raise issues even if Labour eventually comes up with a N50,000 monthly minimum wage proposal for approval. In the first place, this is a figure that workers had been clamouring for all these years. Moreover, that would only amount to N600,000 per annum, which is about N100,000 more than our National Assembly law makers spend on clothes alone per year!

    But, jokes apart, asking for a new minimum wage is not the answer to the question posed by the Nigerian economy. When the present N18,000 was secured in 2010, it was well celebrated. Then, it never occurred to anyone that our National Assembly law makers would get more than double that amount as wardrobe allowance in a month. Then, no one thought the naira would be so devalued that it would now be exchanging at N242 to a US dollar, up from the N140 it was in 2010 when the now moribund N18,000 minimum wage was implemented.

    A quick travel down the memory lane on minimum wage reviews in the country will suffice to buttress my point. By the 2000 National Minimum Wage (Amendment Act), minimum wage was pegged at N7,500 for Federal Government workers (and N5,500 for state government workers). This was raised to N18,000 in 2010. So, within a period of just 10 years, our minimum wage had more than tripled. And this has been the pattern since 1981 when the minimum wage was N125 per month; it rose to N250 as a result of the Minimum Wage Amendment Decree 1990. Ten years later, it had ballooned to N7,500. The implication is that between 1981 and 2015, minimum wage in the country had jumped from N125 to N18,000! I am yet to see any good country with that paradigm.

    For example, when National Minimum Wage was first introduced in Britain in 1999, it was pegged at 3.60 pounds per hour. Between 1999 and now, a period of 16 years, it has increased only by 3.30 pounds per hour. Indeed, when salaries are increased in many other places, it is not as ridiculous as ours and the workers are far better off. Not so in Nigeria. Without doubt, the situation here concerning the astronomical rise in minimum wage over the years tells us that the problem is not about asking for high wage. It is much more fundamental.

    This is what the NLC should be in the vanguard of unravelling (assuming it does not yet know why) and clamouring for its correction. What successive increases in wages has done is to enable the politicians (whether those in military uniform or their civilian counterparts) to keep deceiving Nigerians and giving them the impression that all is well because, as soon as the workers get the salary increase, they jubilate. But when they get to the market a few weeks or months later, they discover that the money has further lost its value. I still remember what I was able to do with my N96 (sorry, N200) monthly allowance as a youth corps member in 1985. Those on national service now cannot boast of same despite the fact that they earn by far more. Even for the brief period I worked with my School Certificate result, I know the things I was able to do with my salary of about N110 per month. Today’s graduates who are lucky to have jobs are groaning because the wads of naira notes in their pockets can hardly buy anything of substance. My fear is that, at the rate at which we are going, a time will come when we would have to carry money in Ghana-must-go bags to buy an average loaf of bread as is the case in Mugabe’s Zimbabwe which I guess must be brimming with trillionaires!

    Therefore, what Labour should be clamouring for is good governance, not new minimum wage. Without good governance, we are only going to be wasting our time moving in circles, irrespective of the frequency of periodic reviews of minimum wage, or the magnitude. If we had done the needful in this regard, especially in the immediate past, this country would not be where it is today. If we had been alive to our responsibilities as Nigerians, we would not have had the kind of corrupt government that brought our economy to its knees as the Goodluck Jonathan government did, without giving it any serious fight until the General Elections.

    Perhaps Labour’s thinking by insisting on new minimum wage all the time is that this would mop up some of the surplus money that public officials steal. If that is the reasoning, we must have seen it has not worked. As a matter of fact, the public officials might grandstand and make negotiations for minimum wage tedious and laborious; they would be more worried the moment they see that the critical segments of the society are clamouring for good governance because that alone is the antidote to the massive looting of our treasury that has become our lot over the decades.

    My fear however is whether Labour itself is not complicit in the situation we find ourselves because if it had been doing what it should do to call the country’s leaders to order, things would not have been this bad. The other problem is the state of the labour union itself; recent revelations on its housing scheme, its transport scheme and NLC’s last election which almost reflected our national elections are enough cause for concern as to whether the congress can provide the desired leadership to take us out of the woods.

    Labour cannot be doing the same thing over and again and expect a different result.

  • NLC decry decay in education sector, wants improved funding

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Monday joined Nigerian student to protest against the continued decay in the nation’s educational system, lamenting that the fight for a better educational system has been left for too long for the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)

    NLC’s Head of International Relation and National Assembly Liason, Comrade Uche Ekwe who stood in for the President of Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba said it was unfortunate that education budget has continued on the downward trend in the past twenty years while the country was still far from the 26 percent recommended by UNESCO for education funding.

    While commending Nigerian students for the initiative, Comrade Ekwe said the country national budget in the last 20 years has fallen short of UNESCO standard.

    He said “In the past, Nigerian students have not organised themselves in this manner. The campaign which is to save education is apt, adding that for the past 20 years, our National budget has not met the international requirements as recommended by UNESCO that at least 26% of its annual budget should be for education.

    “But we have not gone beyond 12% and in implementation, we have not gone up to 7% and this struggle has been left for ASUU alone for a very long time. Other Nigerians now felt that ASUU are trouble people. But because they are in the education sector, they know the damage and the danger of what is going on and the longer they leave this, the more decay you have in the sector both in terms of infrastructure and manpower.

    “The student as the composition of NANS is a strategic part of the labour movement for several reasons. They are huge body of the young people and very important of the future of every country, also they are the children of the working people.

    “We have maintained that more funding should be channel to the education sector and our  affiliate, ASUU have done a deep research papers about sourcing of raising this fund, so am advising government to work at those document from ASUU and ensure they have the political will to implement”.

    President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Comrade Bamidele Akpan lamented the dilapidated structures in the nation universities, adding that this has affected the quality of students been turned out by the Institutions.

    Read Also: NLC dares governors over N30,000 minimum wage

    He said: “If you go to our campuses, what you see is dilapidated structures. The International community sees our educational system as one who dished out certificate to people who don’t merit it. Lack of Laboratories, lack of libraries, lack of basic amenities. And yet we have leaders who enjoyed free and compulsory education and even complained to us that when they were in school, they had free education, they had hostel accommodations, and were even fed with chicken and fish, that to some extent they wanted to protest of being fed”.

    Some of the placards carried by the students read in parts” Stop commercializing education, “FG  attend to ASUU and COEASU now, “Our lectures halls are similar to bakery oven, FG should meet up their agreement with COAESU,

    Others are “No Nation can survive without good education, 26 percent UNESCO standard now or nothing, adhere to UNESCO budgetary recomendation on education, education is our right, don’t mortgage our future”.

  • Nigeria can afford a living wage for workers – Oshiomhole

    National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has said that Nigeria as a nation can afford what he described as a living wage for workers in the country, saying non payment of salaries by state Governors creates a viscious circle leading to low production and eventual loss of jobs.

    Oshiomhole said as a governor, he has always told his colleagues that payment of salaries is not a burden, but a means of enhancing the development potential of the state, adding that the major problem in the country has always been the stealing or public resources in the name or salary payment.

    The former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) who was responding to question on the new nattional minimum wage in an interview with a television outfit monitored in Abuja said it was unfortunate that the nation has enough to meet the greed of leaders but don’t have enough to meet basic needs of their people.

    He said: “My views are clear that payment of wages is not an act of kindness for an employer to pay the employees’ wages at the end of the month. There are provisions in our labour act that says that you cannot delay the payment of salaries in excess of 30 days interval, which means salaries ought not to accumulate beyond 30 days. And Government decides the size of its employment but when it made the decision to employ it has the obligation to pay. Even the Holy Bible says that the laborer is entitled to its wages.

    “I think again, this is where President Buhari stands out clearly. He has publicly asked public sector employers; how do you sleep when you have not paid your employers for one year. But he did not stop at lamenting it, he went on to provide the much talked about bailout fund and said please use this money to pay your workers and pay pension arrears.

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    “And even the deductions from states that was done under the PDP in the name of settling our foreign debts, they went into state treasury and they over deducted, that was done under the PDP. But under President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, inspite of the huge financial challenges that he faces, decided that in order to assist the states to meet up with their social obligations, to begin to pay what is now referred as Paris Club refund.

    “He has done that two, three instalments and each time the governors are told that you must use this money among other things to settle pension arrears and be up to date in the payment of salaries.

    “But I am very proud that this President has rich conscience, he recognizes that the Nigerian worker deserve his wages and that is why he has publicly lament that there are governors who have not paid salaries as at when due, whether they are PDP or APC it is immaterial. And in seeking to deal with it he has also provided support across party divide and I think that is statesmanship at its best.

    “As for my views on the minimum wage, I tried to deal with it as a governor. I told my colleagues then that wage is not a burden in the society. In economics, when people work and get paid purchasing powers is enhanced and because purchasing power is enhanced producers will respond to that by seeking to produce more goods and services. And in the process they will recruit more hands.

    “But when you don’t pay wages you create a virtuous circle, no payment of wages leading to low purchasing power. None payment of rents, compounding the problem of those who have invested in real estate. Depressing the commercial life of the state and of the country. And I tried to settle this question by increasing minimum wage in Edo state to N25, 000 from N18,000.

    “I remember some people calling me to ask how you will pay it. I am on record of having paid it and as we speak my successor in office is paying it. I do not agree with those who says Nigeria cannot afford a more realistic minimum wage. My being in government or now chairman of a party cannot change what I believe in.  I that no nation has enough to meet the greed of leaders but nations have enough to meet basic needs of their people.

    “The real problem in the public sector is money being stolen in the name of salaries; I found it embarrassing when we talk about ghost workers. And I ask the question who counts ghosts, it is only in Nigeria that ghosts are known. The labourer deserves its wage; the primary purpose of government is the welfare of its people. So we must pay wages as at when due.”