Labour To FG: Pay N65,000 As Minimum Wage Or Face Industrial Strike

Labour To FG: Pay N65,000 As Minimum Wage Or Face Industrial Strike

Organised Labour under the United Labour Congress (ULC) on Monday urged the federal government to accept to pay N65,000 as the new minimum wage before the 14-day ultimatum ends on Wednesday or be ready to face the anger of Nigerian workers.

ULC President, Joe Ajaero who spoke on Monday in Lagos said with two days to the end of the ultimatum government is still dragging it’s foot on the issue, noting that the announcement by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo that government has convened a committee is belated and an insult to workers.

ULC said it is only a shortage of patriotism, will and a surplus of official greed and corruption that is the bane of a reasonable national minimum wage and not shortage of necessary resources to pay.

Ajaero said the organised private sector (OPS) withdrawal of their initial increment to a reduced N25,000 is an embarrassment to workers and it is trying to test the powers of labour.

He said government has shown by its actions a remarkable lack of seriousness which have characterised governance in Nigeria, saying since February till now it is yet to come to the negotiation table with a figure for the new minimum wage.

“We shall no longer be obliged by this time to give any further notice to the government before embarking on the needed action to resist the deliberate and unconscionable desolation of our people and nation and we order all our affiliates and state councils to move to the final level of alert in their preparation for the proposed nation -wide strike.

“Furthermore we wish to state that Nigerian workers will not only deny any government that denies us our living wages  in the forthcoming general elections but will also set up an active machinery to mobilise against their elections”, he added.

He commended the government for listening to Labour by suspending Nigeria Air which he said was initiated without clear goals, adding that a new national carrier should be established with clear purposes to cater to the needs of the citizens.

ULC also insist that all arrears of pensions and gratuities owed workers be settled immediately as it is mindless and wicked to deny workers who have given their lives in the service of the nation to be denied livelihood when they have retired.