Labour may go on strike over minimum wage
•Urges govt to dialogue with ASUU
THE move by the Senate to move the National Minimum Wage Law from the exclusive to the concurrent legislative list may attract the wrath of the labour movement.
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Abdulwaheed Omar, who refused to disclose the specific action labour would take should the Senate make the move, revealed that the NLC would await the outcome of the deliberations of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) expected to take place this weekend before unfolding its plans.
Speaking at the end of its emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja Thursday, Omar said the NLC is also worried by the breakdown of negotiations between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Federal Government over the on-going strike action by the universities’ lecturers.
Omar, who lauded the House of Representatives for resisting the pressure from some state governors to move the wage law to the concurrent legislative list, said the labour movement would mobilise its members against any move to further pauperize the working poor.
“We will not want to pre-empt the outcome of the NEC of TUC which will be held this weekend. But we are ready to ensure that the Senate does not succeed in its attempt to move the national minimum wage to the concurrent list. This is because that will expose the workers to danger and put them at the mercy of employers who are willing to pay less than the N18,000. Besides, there is no provision for the private sector in the amendment and this is a worry to us. However, we thank the House of Representatives who has refused to tow the line the Senate is treading in this matter. We will mobilise and resist the move. While we don’t want to say too much at least for now, we will put in some steps aimed at stopping the Senate from achieving what it sets to achieve,” he said.
He hinted that both the NLC and TUC would harmonize their positions next week and roll out what they plan to do to thwart the possible amendment of the law.
Omar, who said most of the state governments are now paying the N18,000 minimum wage, explained that some workers at the local councils are still facing difficulties owing to the instability of the allocation going to local councils in the country.
The NLC chief also berated the Anambra State government for paying its workers less than their colleagues in other states and attempting to return public schools to missionaries and privatize the public health institutions. He alleged that the state pays the lowest wage to its workforce in the country.
He stated that the labour centre would soon unfold plans aimed at redressing the low wage in Anambra State.
Omar expressed NLC’s unhappiness about the breakdown of negotiation between the government and ASUU, offering to mediate in the matter not just to ensure that negotiation resumes, but that it results in tangible end that will ensure speedy return of teachers back to the Ivory Towers.
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