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By citybusinessnews@yahoo.com –
Citing delay in the implementation of a new national Minimum Wage for Nigerian Workers, organised labour on Monday commenced mobilisation for a nation-wide strike. President, United Labour Congress (ULC), Mr Joe Ajaero explained in a communique issued after the congress meeting on Monday in Lagos that: “By this communiqué we order all our affiliates and state councils nation-wide to move to the final level of alert in their preparation for the proposed nationwide strike.”
It would be recalls that the organised labour, made up of the NLC, TUC and ULC had on Sept. 12 issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government to state an amount to enable the minimum wage committee conclude its sitting.
Labour had collectively demanded for N65,000 per month as the new National Minimum wage for all Nigerian workers as harmonized by organized Labour.
Ajaero said that if the government failed to meet their demand on the expiration of the ultimatum, it would collaborate with other labour centres and Civil Society Organisations to embark on a nation-wide strike.
”We shall no longer be obliged by this time to give any further notice to the government before embarking on the action.
The labour leader said that a new national minimum wage was desirable and possible, adding that lack of patriotism, greed and corruption was the bane of a reasonable wage.
Also, the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has empowered the National Administrative Council (NAC) and its leadership to carry out all necessary actions in conjunction with other stakeholders to ensure the achievement of the minimum wage.
Part of the ULC Communique read:
“That on this 12thday of the 14 day ultimatum we issued Government, that the federal Government has not responded sensibly and positively to our demands neither have we seen any sign that suggests otherwise.
that the federal government of Nigeria through the federal minister of Labour has instead chosen to trivialize a life and death matter concerning Nigerian workers and masses and unfortunately chose to thread the path of name-calling.
“That the federal government of Nigeria is therefore still insistent on playing politics with the lives and living conditions of Nigerians especially Nigerian workers. Nigerians will remember that in May this year, we raised alarm when the Minister of Labour said categorically that there will be no new national minimum wage before the end of September this year. This was however denied by the federal government but with this latest gambit, our worst fear concerning Government’s motives over the national minimum wage has been confirmed.
“That the federal Government has remained immune to the suffering and wanton deprivations which its policies and actions have brought upon the working people of this country. This government is demonstrably not worried about the increasing poverty in the country which has since last year made Nigeria the country with the largest number of poor people all over the globe. It is not therefore surprising that it does not think of how to lift Nigerians out of this morass.
“That Government has shown by its actions a remarkable lack of seriousness which recently may have characterized governance in Nigeria.
“That we therefore wish to reaffirmour commitment to pursue the attainment of our collective demand for N65,000 per month as the new National Minimum wage for all Nigerian workers as harmonized by organized Labour.
“That we recommit to the 14 Day ultimatum issued to the federal Government
“That as a result of this apparent disregard, we shall in conjunction with otherlabourcentres working with Civil Society Organisations across Nigeria embark on a nation-wide strike if nothing is done to meet our demands on the expiration of this collective ultimatum in the next few days
“We shall no longer be obliged by this time to give any further notice to the Government before embarking on the needed action to resist the deliberate and unconscionable desolation of our people and nation.
that by this communiqué we order all our affiliates and state councils nation-wide to move to the final level of alert in their preparation for the proposed nation-wide strike.
“We urge Nigerian masses to stockpile food and other necessities given the known intransigencies and insensitivity this Government has shown to our collective plight as a people.
“Furthermore, we wish to state that Nigerian workers will not only deny any government that denies us our living wages in the forthcoming general elections but will also set up an active machinery to mobilise against their elections.
“That a strike committee headed by ….. with comrade….. as Secretary has been set up by the Congress to commence work immediately while a Political action committee is being put together to work with other centres to achieve our political intents for the purposes of protecting Nigerian masses and workers from the ravenous wolves which our politicians have unfortunately turned out to be.
“The United Labour Congress of Nigeria (ULC), reiterates its commitment to the promotion of the welfare, rights and privileges of Nigerian workers and masses. A new National Minimum Wage of N65,000 (Sixty-five thousand Naira) is desirable and very possible. It is only a shortage of patriotism and a surplus of official greed and corruption that is the bane of a reasonable national minimum wage! Chase Security Vote out! Chase heavy convoys and political appointees out! Reduce the cost of governance! A living wage becomes possible!
“We repeat; We indeed have no shortage of necessary resources to pay a new national minimum wage of N65,000. What we have is a shortage of Will!
OTHER ISSUES:
That Nigerian workers insist that all arrears of pensions and gratuities owed Nigerian workers be settled immediately. We believe that it is mindless and wicked to deny Nigerian men and women who have given their lives in the service of this nation to be denied livelihood when they have retired. While we thank the federal government for commencing the payment of arrears of gratuities owed former PHCN workers, we do not take kindly to the half-truth and outright misinformation by the government on the number of people covered by the payment. We know that what the government is paying for now after much pressure is just for about 400 workers out of the over 2,000 workers who are suffering under this insensitive action of the government. We urge Government to commence payment on the remaining workers.
That the Congress frowns at the action of Chevron in its dealings with Nigerian workers under its employment. We support the Unions especially NUPENG which is our affiliate in its efforts to protect workers in that company especially as it concerns their planned nation-wide strike which commences in a few days.
We urge the federal Government to stop the ongoing forced labour in its running of the Nigeria Railway line between Abuja and Kaduna where workers are forced to work unwholesome hours, in Public holidays and on weekends without commensurate pay. This is against public service rules and various international conventions and standards.
ULC believes that the federal Government ought to channel its energies more on completing the Ajaokuta Steel Company rather than seeking its Privatisation. Demonstrably, privatization has not yielded positive results for Nigeria and this latest intentions of Government concerning Ajaokuta will not be different. Government must muster the political will needed for the completion of Ajaokuta which is one of the keys to our national development.
Congress’ frowns at the anti-union and anti-workers actions of some Government Agencies especially the Delta Police command that seems not to understand the practice of Industrial Relations in Nigeria. We call on the federal Government to stop the Delta state command from further harassing and intimidating Fitters’ Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (FISSAN) in the course of their legitimate duties of collective bargaining and organizing.
Once again, we are worried about the persistent abuse of expatriate quota by foreign companies in Nigeria especially in the Telecommunication and communication sector. Nokia, Huawei, MTN and Glo are known offenders. The federal Government must check the persistent flagrant disregard of our labour laws by these organisations especially as it concerns outsourcing, Casualisation and other forms of precarious work.
Also, as the Trane 7 of the NLNG begins, we demand that all Labour issues and the relevant unions in that sector be carried along. Workers must be allowed to freely associate and organize freely to avoid subjecting Nigerian workers to slavery.
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