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  • Minimum wage: Bagudu appeal to NLC to shelve strike

    The kebbi state Governor, Atiku Bagudu has called on Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliate unions to shelve its scheduled strike in the interest of the citizenry

    The governor made this call in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Dakingari, and made available to journalist in Birnin, the state capital today.

    He urged the workers to await the report of the tripartite committee on minimum wage and President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision on the wage increase.

    “I want to assure the Nigerian workers at all levels of the government’s readiness to promote their welfare. The government is willing and ready to do everything possible to uplift workers’ welfare,’’ he said.

    The statement said that Bagudu left Birnin Kebbi for Abuja this morning to partake in the 12th meeting of the tripartite committee on the National Minimum Wage.

    The committee is expected to finalise deliberations and submit its report to Mr President, he added.

    It could  be recalled  that Kebbi state governor was among  the  tripartite committee on minimum  wage.

  • Minimum wage: Bagudu appeals to NLC to shelve strike

    Gov. Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, has called on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliate unions to shelve its scheduled strike in the interest of the citizenry.

    The governor made this call in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Alhaji Abubakar Dakingari, and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.

    He urged the workers to await the report of the tripartite committee on minimum wage and President Mohammadu Buhari’s decision on the wage increase.

    “I want to assure the Nigerian workers at all levels of the government’s readiness to promote their welfare. The government is willing and ready to do everything possible to uplift workers’ welfare,’’ he said.

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    The statement said that Bagudu left Birnin Kebbi for Abuja this morning to partake in the 12th meeting of the tripartite committee on the National Minimum Wage.

    The committee is expected to finalise deliberations and submit its report to Mr President.

  • El-Rufai’s policies responsible for Kaduna crisis, says NLC

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said that “the cruel and reckless socio-economic policies of Kaduna State Government” should be blamed for the current crisis in the state and asked the government to immediately respite all security measures put in place by the Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi government to ensure peaceful coexistence across the state.

    President of the Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said in a statement made available to newsmen that the failure of the government to take pre-emptive security measures when the crisis first broke out at Kasua Magani represents leadership failure on the part of the El-Rufai government in the state.

    Wabba said the Kaduna crisis is not just a painful  reminder of a relatively distant past, but a sad  commentary on the state of our communal relations exacerbated.

    The statement reads: “We at the Nigeria Labour Congress wish to lend our voice to those who have condemned the violent conflicts in Kaduna and it’s environs.

    “These violent conflicts have led to multiple deaths officially put at 55 at Kasuwan Magaini,  22 in Kaduna metropolis and an unspecified number in other unnamed settlements.

    “Almost a week after the violent conflict erupted over an issue as trivial as a dispute over the correct measure of grains of maize in the market place, it is yet to abate as reports say today there are fresh attacks and reprisals.

    “The Kaduna crisis is not just a painful reminder of a relatively distant past we were better off without,  it is a sad  commentary on the state of our communal relations exacerbated by cruel and reckless socio-economic policies of the Kaduna State Government.

    “It similarly represents leadership failure in the state as certain pre-emptive security measures  ought to have been put in place in Kaduna metropolis when this conflict started at Kasuwan Magaini.

    “The root causes of these conflicts must be addressed and perpetrators brought to justice.  We believe human life still remains sacred in spite of our degeneration into a non-society,” NLC said.

     

     

    That congress also said “It is equally important for the Kaduna State Government to restore the security measures put in place by the Government of Makarfi which ensured peace and security in the state for over ten years.

    “Kaduna State cannot afford to continue to live on the edge of the knife.  The implications are enormous not just for Kaduna but the whole country. Our sympathy and condolences go to those who have lost their properties or loved ones,” NLC said.

     

  • Kaduna crises: NLC condemns violent conflicts

    The Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) has condemned the violent conflicts in Kaduna and its environs.

    Mr Ayuba Wabba, NLC president, made the condemnation in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

    According to Wabba, the conflicts have led to multiple deaths officially put at 55 at Kasuwan Magaini, 22 in Kaduna metropolis and an unspecified number in other unnamed settlements.

    “Almost a week after the violent conflict erupted over an issue as trivial as a dispute over the correct measure of grains of maize in the market place, it is yet to abate as reports say today (Friday) there are fresh attacks and reprisals.

    “The Kaduna crisis is not just a painful reminder of a relatively distant past we were better off without.

    “It is a sad commentary on the state of our communal relations.

    “It represents leadership failure in the state as pre-emptive security measures ought to have been put in place in Kaduna metropolis when this conflict started at Kasuwan Magaini,’’he said.

    He noted that the root causes of the conflicts must be addressed and perpetrators brought to justice.

    He added that “we believe human life still remains sacred in spite of our degeneration into a non-society.

    “It is equally important for the Kaduna State Government to restore the security measures put in place by the Government of Makarfi which ensured peace and security in the state for over 10 years.

    “Kaduna State cannot afford to continue to leave on the edge of the knife. The implications are enormous not just for Kaduna but the whole country.

    “Finally, our sympathy and condolences go to those who have lost their properties or loved ones,’’Wabba added.(NAN)

  • Minimum wage ‘ll boost economy, says NLC

    Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Ayuba Wabba has declared as untrue the claim that an increase in workers’ salary would lead to inflation.

    Instead the proposed minimum wage will boost the country’s economy, he added.

    The NLC boss told reporters yesterday in Asaba, Delta State where he was the Special Guest at the 6th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of the National Union of Hotels and Personal Services Workers that “It is not true and has no empirical bases that an upward review of minimum wage would trigger inflation in the country.

    “This is because when the minimum wage was increased in 2011, in fact, the inflation rates went down.

    “Go and look at the records and the data, it would rather boost the economy because it would increase the people’s disposable income.

    “You remember that in the midst of recession in the U.S., one of the strategies President Barrack Obama used to boost the economy of the country was to increase the minimum wage.

    “This, because as at that time, production was going on; people didn’t have money to purchase and what he (Obama) did was to increase the minimum wage and there was money; General Motors started to produce and people were able to buy,” he said.

    Wabba added: “In the World Bank report of recent,  it has been proven that when there are money in the hands of many it is a means to addressing poverty.

    “Therefore, in the context of Nigeria, it is very clear and proven that once you are able to remove many of our people out of poverty, their will be a boost in our economy.

    “This is because those at the lower echelon that are receiving N18,000 cannot afford good meals, that is the reality and truth.”

    He, however, blamed the challenges being faced by the people on high cost of governance in the country.

    “On cost of governance, if you remember, the first engagement NLC had in 2016 was a national rally for good governance and the fight against corruption.

    “Minimum wage has international dimension, and that is why it is a convention of the International Labour Organisation (ILO).

    “The ILO convention 131 is the law about minimum wage and that is why even in the most capitalist economy, you have the minimum wage law.

    “Minimum wage is to protect the vulnerable group from exploitation, because if you have the minimum wage, you can pay higher but you are not allowed to pay below.

    “There is evidence-based approach to look at the positive side of the minimum wage increase in Nigeria.

    “Why many states, including the Federal Government, are complaining on the issues of ability to pay is due to high cost of governance.

    “In a particular state recently when we were arguing on the ability to pay the minimum wage, N10 billion was used to charter flight in that particular state, so we must look at it from diverse ways the challenges we are having,” he said.

    He said that if it was true that Nigeria belonged to the third world country and as such, its people would continue to be impoverished, “how come that members of the National Assembly receive the best salaries in the world?”

    “If the minimum wage of a local government councillor is N200,000, we must be on the same page and we must argue on the bases that all of us are Nigerians and we go to the same market.

    “These are the realities, nobody says that there is no challenge but we need to put the challenge on the table side by side.

    “When the earnings of political elites were reviewed in 2008, it was reviewed by 900 per cent but what was the minimum wage in 2010, put it side by side and then you will have answers for what will justify what the minimum wage stands for,” he said.

    On the ongoing wage negotiation, Wabba called on government and employers of labour to respect the will of the workers.

    He said that Organised Labour had initially proposed N65,000 based on reality and empirical data but that at the negotiating table, the parties presented their arguments and had arrived at a minimum wage of N30,000.

    “In fact the employers proposed the N30,000 as minimum wage on Oct. 5, that is the truth and truth exalts the nation.

    “We have put the government on notice that come Oct. 30, we shall sensitise the people and if nothing happens on Nov. 6, we shall declare a nationwide strike,” Wabba said.

  • Minimum Wage: Buhari receives record of meetings

    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.

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    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.

  • Minimum Wage: Muslim Congress backs NLC

    The Muslim Congress (TMC) has backed the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) N30,000 demand for Minimum Wage.

    At its Quarterly State of the Nation briefing, TMC National AbdulWasiu Bamgbala said Nigerian workers definitely deserve a rise in their take-home having been on the receiving end for so long in our chequered history.

    He said: “The long-suffering workers deserve every comfort they can get in order to live a more comfortable and less-stressful life. In 2011, the National Minimum Wage Act set workers’ wage at N18,000 per month and to be revised every five years. An upward review is therefore justified by the fact that the cost of living has increased considerably.”

    Bamgbala urged the Federal government to continue its dialogue with the stakeholders in order to arrive at a figure that will ease the daily burdens of the Nigerian workers.

    He said: “That amount should also be in consultation with the states especially owing from the fact that most of the states are already defaulting in paying the N18,000 minimum wage. But more importantly, governments at all levels must speed up the development of public infrastructure and also step up financial inclusion. These two steps will further complement the increase in minimum wage to make life more meaningful for the people. The organised labour should also show understanding and ensure that the laudable agitation does not lead to the breakdown of services across the sectors.

    “The state governors need to block all leakages especially wasteful spending to meet the workers’ demands. A situation whereby state governor having over 150 aides is not healthy for the polity and should be looked into. Some of these governors need to be prudent in the way they spend public funds.”

    The congress scribe hailed the Federal Government for approving N22 billion as payment for retirement benefits to former workers of the liquidated Nigeria Airways Limited.

    “This amounts to about 50 percent of the N45 billion entitlements for the former workers of the company. The workers have suffered the injustice of not receiving their retirement benefits for about 15years.

  • Falana urges NLC to lead workers on anti-corruption war

    •Rights lawyer to PENGASSAN: recover $60b for minimum wage

    RIGHTS lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) has urged the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to lead workers in the fight against corruption.

    He admonished the workers not to leave the battle to the government, stressing that “no government fights corruption genuinely”.

    He spoke as the guest speaker at the 40th anniversary of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria  (PENGASSAN) in Abuja.

    The theme of discussion  was “Dynamic labour leadership fueling the economy”.

    The legal luminary, who insisted that Nigeria was yet to get value for its oil and gas blessings, wondered why the country remains a borrower instead of being a lender to other nations.

    He said peace would continue to elude the nation in as much as it has over 30 million children on the streets, stressing that the oil and gas industry remains the economic mainstay of the country that it can use to rescue the suffering citizenry.

    Falana noted that in 2015, he wrote a letter directing the attention of the Federal Government to the Offshore and Inland Contract Act that said government should review the sharing contract whenever the price of crude oil exceeds $25 per barrel.

    He said: “I wrote to NNPC, I wrote to the Saraki-led National Assembly . In 2016, Kachikwu confessed that $60 billion has been lost due to the non-implementation of the policy.”

    The Lagos lawyer noted that Bayelsa and Akwa Ibom states challenged the non-implementation up to the Supreme Court, where it was decided in their favour on Wednesday.

    He insisted that “we should collect the money. PENGASSAN should get the money for minimum wage”.

    President Muhammadu Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, said the association has played a vital role in stabilising the country.

    He said the government recognised the potential of the sector to contribute to the country’s Gross Domestic Product.

    He added that it was his pleasure to support the association in championing the N1.5 billion appeal fund for a digital library

    Kachikwu said he was particularly grateful to the association for the support and understanding it accorded him during the increase in the pump price of petrol.

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Group Managing Director (GMD), Dr. Maikanti Baru hailed the association for the maturity it exhibited during industrial disputes resolutions.

     

  • NLC: ‘Fed Govt to announce new minimum wage soon’

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is optimistic that the federal government will soon announce a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers. This hope is hinged on the completion of work by the tripartite committee on new National minimum wage.

    President of the Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, told newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, that the committee report was ready for submission to the President, adding that the government will announce the new package after a meeting of the National Economic Council.

    The suspension of the work of the committee led to the recent warning strike , but Wabba said after the resumption of the committee, a new minimum wage that was acceptable to all employers of labour in the country was arrived at.

    He said “I want to assure workers that all has been concluded and will be passed for signing within the week. I also want to appreciate the Organised Private Sector, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria and Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) for their resolve to pay the new minimum wage when it is signed into law.”

    The organised labour had embarked on the strike after a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government for failing to reconvene meeting to come out with its own figure on the new minimum wage.

    The three unions had demanded N65,500 as new minimum wage for workers, while the private employers and some state governors were proposing N25,000.

    Meanwhile, the congress  also yesterday, picketed the Bolton White Hotel in Abuja metropolis, over what it described as precarious working condition of workers as part of the 2018 World Day for Decent Work.

    The labour leaders of the congress led by Wabba, stormed the hotel at about 9: a:m, carrying placards with inscriptions such as, “It is primitive to deny workers voice in the World of work,’ Workers Right to belong to a union is a Constitutional right, “Workers are not production tools, change the rule,” “Workers salary is a right not a favour,” “we say no to precarious work,’’ among others.

  • NLC, minimum wage and politico-economic illogic

    MORE than a week ago, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) embarked on a seven-day warning strike to press home their demand for a fairer minimum wage for workers. The strike, however, lasted for only three days before it was suspended. No one can tell at the moment, not even the NLC, what would be a fair minimum wage. There was talk among the unionists of N65,000; then N56,000; and then, in the spirit of give and take, N35,000. Whatever is finally decided upon — and a decision will have to be taken anyway — is unlikely to satisfy everyone given the state of the economy. The current minimum wage is a paltry N18,000, so small that it not only cannot take care of basic needs, it really did not need any wage agitation for the government and the legislature to angrily take the initiative to raise it appreciably.

    But responding to accusations of foot-dragging on the minimum wage agitation, the government has alleged that states were in fact the foot-draggers, as they can’t seem to have the courage to come up with a harmonised position. If states are unable to reach an agreement, says the federal government championing the executive side of the negotiation, any deal will be futile because states have to bear the higher burden of paying the new minimum wage once a settlement is reached. States, on the other hand, have been deeply sceptical, if not quite adamant, of any new wage. The economy does not admit of any wage flexibility, they argue, considering that some 26 of them have been struggling unsuccessfully for some time to meet up with their wage obligations.

    In turn, recognising that states have stalled wage negotiations, the NLC has vowed to campaign against such states, political parties and governors that fail to pay salaries as and when due, and the new minimum wage once a decision is reached. Consequently, most governors who had been vociferous in arguing the impracticability of a new wage have out of fear begun to sing a new tune, regardless of the fact that no amount of miracle in their states or prioritisation of salary payment could make the difference. The states are cowed, the federal government is non-committal but desperate for industrial peace in an election year, and Labour is flush with enthusiasm based almost wholly on illogic.

    Notwithstanding what happens eventually at the negotiating table, the debate will almost invariably shift to the saner and more practical issue of which state can or cannot pay. About 30 of the country’s 36 states record miserable internally generated revenue (IGR) that is so low as to be practically useless for the purpose of meeting small and sundry basic state needs, let alone salary bills. The implication is that they all unreasonably depend on their portions from the federal allocation to meet salary and developmental needs. It is simply untenable in the short or long run.

    While many states do in fact demonstrate no understanding of how to meet the needs of their workers, nor why those needs ought to be met, the NLC itself has been indifferent to arguments that seek a better understanding of state economies and the structures that would make regular and decent wage payment sustainable. The unions appear to have forgotten that negotiations raised minimum wage to its present unsustainable level, and that a raise, when it is coaxed from the government, does not necessarily make wage payment foolproof, as everyone now knows. Even if an agreement can be reached on what is fair, there is nothing in the states to indicate that it can be paid on a sustainable basis.

    It is tragic how the NLC, states and the federal government miss the point that the current structure of the country makes it difficult if not impossible for a decent wage to be paid sustainably. It won’t happen. Raising wages will only lead to more crisis. Oil, the main revenue earner of the country, is subject to price volatility and, increasingly, low or at best fluctuating demand due to technological advances in alternative energy sources. If the country is not restructured in such a way as to run efficiently and sustainably in line with the true practice of federalism, states will depend unreasonably on federal allocation, structure their administrations and costs unwieldily since someone else is picking their bills, and embark on irrational and wasteful projects they have no business delving into in the first instance.

    The country is tilting at windmills to imagine that by prioritising salary payment it can pay the new fair wage despite struggling unsuccessfully with the paltry old wage. Without restructuring the country, possibly merging or regionalising states, and matching its costs with its revenues, it will be futile to expect industrial peace now or in the future. Sadly, restructuring is unattractive to the country’s leaders, as they hope for the foolish miracle of having their cake and eating it. They are in short creating a paradox no mathematician can solve, not ever.