Ajaero expressed ‘grave concern and disappointment’ over the FG’s failure to conclude and pass into Law a new National Minimum Wage Act.
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – The organised labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has declared a nationwide indefinite strike in protest against the Federal Government (FG)’s proposed N60, 000 minimum wage.
Earlier on Friday, talks on minimum wage between the Federal Government and organised labour broke down after the government failed to shift grounds on the N60,000 it proposed during the last meeting.
President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Friday, May 31, 2024, added that the strike will begin midnight of Sunday, June 2, 2024.
Reading from a jointly prepared speech alongside his TUC counterpart, Festus Osifo, Ajaero expressed “grave concern and disappointment” over the FG’s failure to conclude and pass into Law a new National Minimum Wage Act and reverse the hike in electricity tariff to N65/kWh.
Ajaero, who accused the government of being unserious about the demand of the workers, stressed that the lack of importance attached to the Friday meeting between the Minimum Wage Committee and Labour further demonstrated the apparent contempt with which the Nigerian state holds them.
He said, “No Governor was present and Ministers absent except the Minister of State for Labour and Employment who doubles as a conciliator. There was none present on the side of the government with the appropriate authority to commit them to any outcome; in essence, the Government abandoned the meeting. We consider this disdainful and shows a lack of commitment to a successful National Minimum Wage negotiation exercise.”
The Labour leader noted that despite the ultimatum issued to the FG during the last May Day celebration on the 1st of May 2024, demanding the conclusion of the minimum wage negotiation exercise by the end of the month, “there has been no significant progress or commitment from the government towards meeting this demand.”
He continued, “We also demanded a reversal of the last hike in electricity tariff to N225/kwh back to N65/kWh and stoppage of the apartheid categorization of consumers into Bands. We carried out a nationwide one-day protest on the 13th day of May 2024 giving the government until the last day of this month to take action but the government has not entirely shown any positive response despite the national outrage at this insensitive hike.
Nigerian workers, who are the backbone of our nation’s economy, deserve fair and decent wages that reflect the current economic realities.
“It continued to remain our belief that the people ought to be the only reason for governance and nothing else. The government must, therefore, seek the welfare of the people at all times and refusal to put the people first compels all patriots to take the right step in assisting the government govern well.
“The hike in electricity tariff impoverished further the already suffering people and denies them the right to decent living. Instead of taking remedial action or engaging in a meaningful dialogue, Nigerians were visited with a barrage of the usual propaganda.
“In light of this persistent inaction, we, the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress hereby issue a notice of commencement of an indefinite nationwide strike to the Federal Government.
“We reiterate that since the National Minimum Wage negotiation exercise has not been concluded and the agreed wage passed into law; the hike in electricity tariff not reversed and categorization of consumers into Bands not stopped as demanded; Nigerian workers are compelled by these failures to embark on an indefinite nationwide industrial action beginning on Monday, the 3rd of June, 2024 to press home our demands.
“The NLC and TUC are united in this cause, and we call on all our affiliates and state Councils, Civil Society Organizations, market men and women and the general populace to prepare for a decisive action. We cannot and will not accept any further delays or excuses. The welfare of Nigerian workers and people is non-negotiable, and we are ready to take all necessary steps to ensure that their rights are protected and their voices heard.”