Minimum wage: NLC, TUC give government, others, two weeks ultimatum

Minimum wage: NLC,TUC give government, others, two weeks ultimatum
Helen ShokJok, Abuja

Abulawaheed Omar, NLC National President (Middle)

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), on Thursday in Abuja, gave the Federal government and the private sector two weeks to implement the minimum wage.

The NLC National President, Abulawaheed Omar, announced the ultimatum at a joint news briefing of the two unions, saying any other proposal  short of  the 18,000 Naira minimum wage was unacceptable.

Reluctant attitude

He said the reluctance of government to implement the minimum wage had caused the delay in its implementation by the private sector.

He said: “We have come to the sad realisation that no level of government has implemented the law, be it federal, state or local governments, in spite of the law coming into effect since March 2011.

“In the case of the Federal Government, the Salaries and Wages Commission has been unable to  and/or unwilling to produce a table for the implementation to federal public servants, and so government has not implemented the law,’’ he said. 

He said that state governments that had refused to implement the new wage were violating the law, adding that some governors were blackmailing others that were willing to pay.

The TUC President, Mr Peter Esele, said the move by some state governments had shown a lack of respect for the minimum wage law.

He said the governors were part of the negotiation, saying: “We expect them to go ahead and implement the 18,000 Naira minimum wage immediately.”

Revenue allocation formula

Omar said the Nigeria Governors Forum's idea of introducing a review of the revenue allocation formula as a prerequisite for the implementation of the minimum wage was to introduce a strange element into the process.

He pointed out that the issue of new revenue allocation formula, which requires constitutional amendment to achieve, had been touted to be a condition precedent to implementing the minimum wage. “We find this as laughable and completely unacceptable as the law is clear and unambiguous.”  

Oil subsidy

“Secondly, the introduction of the oil subsidy argument is essentially asking government to increase the prices of petroleum products and further impoverish our people. 

“All stakeholders were party to the formulation of the law and we know that they can pay the 18, 000 Naira minimum wage,” he added.

Omar said the NLC had rejected any condition attached to the implementation, adding that it would never support any action geared toward increase in fuel price.

The NLC president warned on intimidation of labour leaders, saying: “Our attention has also been drawn to the fact that some state governors are applying intimidation and timid compromise on the workers leadership in their states by threatening mass sack and high taxation.”

Omar, however, cautioned that any state government that indulged in inducing an illicit agreement to pay less than 18, 000 Naira  will have to contend with a most robust form of resistance ever in the annals of  workers  solidarity.

He called on the public and private sectors to begin immediate sensitisation and mobilisation of workers for a nationwide strike at the expiration of the ultimatum.

Williams