FG, Governors Plotting To Derail Minimum Wage Implementation-Workers
Organised Labour under the aegis of the Trade Union Side (TUS) of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) has accused the federal government of plotting to derail implementation of minimum wage in the country.
The workers in a press statement issued on Wednesday and signed by the TUS Chairman, Comrade Abdrafiu Alani Adeniji and the Secretary, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal stressed the need for the Federal and State Governors to implement the new National Minimum Wage or face the wrath of workers.
He regretted that instead of the federal government to send a bill to the National Assembly to enact the 2018 National Minimum Wage Act, it has decided to embark on a fruitless plot to subvert the entire negotiation that took more than one year to conclude.
“How can the Federal Government want to sabotage a democratically agreed National Minimum Wage that was even voted for and agreed upon by all the stakeholders?
“We call on the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) that participated actively and fully in the negotiation to speak out and tell the world the whole truth on what transpired before the new National Minimum Wage was arrived at,” the Union stated.
The Labour Leaders posited that Labour is in the Exclusive Legislative list and as such the Federal Government should proceed to enact the National Minimum Wage Act instead of trying to intimidate workers by invoking a primitive labour law of no work no pay in this 21st century where the International Labour Organisation (ILO) is harping on international labour best practices.
“Nigerian workers are determined and no amount of intimidation will cow them from demanding for their right. The Federal Government should, therefore, send the National Minimum Wage bill to the National Assembly without further delay.
“Once the Federal Government sends the new National Minimum Wage bill to the National Assembly and it is passed into law, it will become binding on the State Governments and any of them that refuse to implement it will face the wrath of millions of Nigerian workers,” the labour leaders emphasized.
According to the TUS, since State Governors were represented at the tripartite Committee that negotiated the new National Minimum Wage, it is surprising that the NGF, an illegal body, would turn round to express reservations on the recommendations of the Panel.
