The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (NUC) have threatened fresh industrial action over the lingering issue of a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba gave the hinted yesterday that workers may soon resume their strike after a meeting soon to be convened on modalities for the action to ensure that they are not shortchanged. He also berated Minister for Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, describing his position on the minimum wage as an afterthought that has no place in collective bargaining.
Speaking in an interview with newsmen yesterday in Lokoja, Kogi State on the sidelines of the commissioning of 1,200 Housing Units for workers by the Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN), he stated that Ngige’s position was at variance with the agreement at the tripartite negotiations committee meeting held last week.
The minister had on Wednesday said there was no agreement on the figure to be paid as minimum wage, as negotiations was still on and this is at variance with labour’s position that the negotiations committee agreed on N30, 000 as the new minimum wage.
But Waba said the issue was sufficiently discussed and a figure arrived at, adding: “The issue of minimum wage has been concluded and a figure agreed upon and for anybody to say that there was no conclusion on the matter, is not correct.
“It is misplacement of information and, therefore, labour will meet to take appropriate decision.”Speaking, TUC President, Boboi Bala Kai Gama, said he did not believe that the Federal Government would renege on its earlier promise on the minimum wage.
“Probably, the appropriate information has not been passed out but at the appropriate time, we will release the correct information.”What we are saying is that the committee set up by government resolved on a figure and the figure will be announced when the chairman of the committee will present the report to President Muhammadu Buhari.”The minister may be talking for his paymasters, but he should allow the committee to talk and the chairman of the committee is the best person in this regard,” he stated. The Guardian
Pix: Ayuba Wabba, NLC President
