TUC Seeks Abrogation Of Security Votes
President of the Trade Union Congress TUC, Boboi Kaigama has lambasted state governments for giving excuses as to why it would be difficult to implement the minimum wage of N66, 000 being proposed by organized trade unions in the country.
This was as he said unionists in the country were already proposing the abrogation of Security Votes, saying some state governors deliberately stoke crisis in their areas so that they can fritter away resources using security vote as a vehicle.
Kaigama disclosed this Friday in Abuja at the National Secretariat of the All Progressives Congress APC where he picked his nomination and expression of interest forms for the governorship election in Taraba state.
He said; The issue of minimum wage is legitimate to the Nigerian worker. It is expected that five years down the line, employers are supposed to sit down with their employees represented by trade unions to review their wages. We are two years behind schedule on this. The dollar rate when the last minimum wage came into being was N150. It has now more than doubled that figure.
“Governors are complaining about the proposed minimum wage, but the fact is that you cannot sit down in your own house and be waiting for allocation from the federation account and think you can pay minimum wage.
‘You have to be creative and develop your own resources. There is no state as far as the working class is concerned that will say they cannot pay the proposed minimum wage.
‘The money is there but corruption and incompetence would not allow them pay. They stoke crisis so that they can fritter resources away through security votes. We are even proposing an amendment to the constitution to abrogate security vote. Minimum wage is going to be paid in Taraba state.
‘I can assure you. Oshiomhole increased the minimum wage in Edo. Where did he get the money from? It is a matter of efficient management of resources. We must have the Treasury Single Account TSA in Taraba state”, he added.
