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Tag: minimum wage

  • 2023: Labour Party promises new minimum wage for Nigerian workers

    2023: Labour Party promises new minimum wage for Nigerian workers

    The Labour Party has promised to implement a new minimum wage of N80,000 to N100,000 for Nigerian workers if the party should emerge victorious in the 2023 presidential election.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Labour Party’s Deputy National Chairman, Ayo Olorunfemi disclosed this on Thursday following the release of the party’s manifesto.

    Recall that the Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi is pushing for the payment of hourly wages as against the current monthly format in the country.

    Olorunfemi said the Labour Party is looking at implementing a new minimum wage of between N80,000-N100,000 as against the N30,000 obtainable presently.

    “It depends on the nature of the job that would be given out. For instance, when you take a cursory look at the manual labourer out there, he does not take less than N2,500-N3,000 per day which is still not okay as far as the reward system is concerned. If you divide N3,000 by six hours, you will be talking about N500 per hour”.

    “So, when you benchmark that against what we have now, certainly, you would be talking of something within the range of N500-N1,000 per hour depending on the nature of work, and at the end of the day, someone can effectively say that he can make up to N4,000 in a day. And when you multiply N4,000 in a day by 20 or 25, we are talking about N80,000 or N100,000 in a month,” he said.

    When asked to further clarify his comment, the LP chieftain maintained that the party is eyeing “N80,000-N100,000” as a new monthly minimum wage, noting that “that is exactly where we are going!”

    Olorunfemi further said the present N30,000 minimum wage does not reflect the realities, saying the Labour Party would pluck holes and exploit new ways to ensure the new wage structure is implemented if the party wins next year’s polls.

    He stated “As a matter of fact, you know the amount of oil in the name of oil theft that has been leaving this country,” adding “We know where these things are coming from. They say there is no money but we know these monies have been stashed in the rooms or toilets of a few persons.”

  • Labour Party to increase minimum wage to 80,000 – Olorunfemi

    Labour Party to increase minimum wage to 80,000 – Olorunfemi

    Ahead of next year’s general elections in the country, the Labour Party has assured that the minimum wage will be increased from the present 30,000 to a figure ranging between 80,000 to 100,000 should Peter Obi be given the mandate.

    Recall that the Labour Party had, a few days ago, unveiled its manifesto after a long wait with its candidate Peter Obi touting the payment of hourly wages against the current monthly format in the country.

    Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, the party’s Deputy National Chairman, Ayo Olorufemi, stated that LP is looking at implementing a new minimum wage of between N80,000 to N100,000 as against the current N30,000.

    He said, “It depends on the nature of the job that would be given out. For instance, when you take a cursory look at the manual labour out there, a labourer does not take less than N2,500-N3,000 per day, which is still not okay as far as the reward system is concerned.

    “If you divide N3,000 by six hours, you will be talking about N500 per hour.”

    “So, when you benchmark that against what we have now, certainly, you would be talking of something within the range of N500-N1,000 per hour depending on the nature of work, and at the end of the day, someone can effectively say that he can make up to N4,000 in a day.

    “And when you multiply N4,000 in a day by 20 or 25, we are talking about N80,000 or N100,000 in a month.”

  • SSANU, NASU extends 14-day warning strike in Nigerian universities by two weeks

    SSANU, NASU extends 14-day warning strike in Nigerian universities by two weeks

    The Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, SSANU, and Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU, have extended their 14-day warning strike in Nigerian universities by two weeks.

     

    The body said following the failure of the Nigerian government to act positively on the ongoing warning strike, “JAC hereby directs members to continue with the warning strike for another two weeks.”

     

    The national leadership of JAC of the two unions issued the directive on Friday at a meeting to appraise the ongoing warning strike by its members to force the Federal government meet their demands.

     

    It hoped that within the period, the government will be in a position to address the issues in contention.

     

    A statement by the General Secretary, NASU, Prince Peters A. Adeyemi and Comrade Mohammed.N.Ibrahim, respectively, said “however, if the present situation persists, the members of NASU and SSANU will be adequately informed about the next line of action before the expiration of the additional two weeks.”

     

    The body observed that “the Federal Government has not deemed it fit to invite JAC of NASU and SSANU to a meeting since the struggle started.”

     

    It also took note of the media statement credited to the representative of the government, Dr Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment on the ‘No Work No Pay’ policy to its members.

     

    The statement said the Friday meeting resolved that the issues in contention are not new and that JAC has followed due process and fulfilled all necessary conditions precedent before commencing the strike.

     

    “In view of that, all branches of NASU and SSANU are hereby directed to hold congresses on Monday, April 11, 2022 and take resolutions on the ongoing strike. The outcome of the resolutions should be forwarded to your respective union headquarters immediately for collation,” the statement further directed.

     

    The demands of the two unions include the inconsistent issue of IPPIS, unpaid earned allowances and delay in the renegotiation of FGN, NASU, SSANU agreement and non-payment of minimum wage arrears.

     

    Others include neglect and poor funding of State universities, non-payment of retirement benefits to outgoing members of the unions and usurpation of the headship of non-teaching units in clear violation of conditions of service and establishment procedures, among others.

  • Transfer of Minimum wage to concurrent list won’t work, FG assures Labour

    Transfer of Minimum wage to concurrent list won’t work, FG assures Labour

    The Federal Government has assured workers that the transfer of the National Minimum Wage from the Executive to Concurrent list would not work.

    The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, gave the hint at the 2021 May Day celebration, on Saturday in Abuja.

    The theme of the May Day celebration is: “COVID-19, Social and Economic Crises; Challenges for Decent Work, Social Protection and Peoples Welfare”.

    Ngige said that the new minimum wage was a national law, which would not be manipulated by anyone.

    “A tripartite clause arrangement which coordinated the government enacting the national minimum wage on April 18, 2019, and the President in signing the law, made it clear that the law takes effect on that day.

    “That law is a national law, it is not that which you can choose for anybody that falls within the ambit of that law. It is not a question of pick and choose.

    ”We moved the national minimum wage from 18,000 per month to 30,000; it is an irreducible clause and we need a social protection mechanism.

    “We therefore expect the states and people in the private sector to comply. Amendment of trying to expand that law or trying to bring the law into the concurrent list of the institution will not work,” he said.

    Mr Ayuba Wabba, the President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), had eariler said that any attempt to remove the national minimum wage from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List was a mischievous effort to foster crisis, chaos and anarchy in the country.

    Wabba said that the national minimum wage served as social protection by providing a mimimum income floors to safeguard low earners.

    ”Our argument for the retention of the national minimum wage on the exclusive legislative list is to also propel the fact that the minimum wage is a tool for social inclusion and proverty reduction,

    “For Nigerian workers, it has been a catalogue of workplace and trade union rights violations.

    ”First is the criminal refusal by some state governors to pay the new national minimum wage and consequential increase in salaries, thus violating workers’ rights.

    “We have already directed all our state councils to down tool if any governor remains adamant about paying the new national minimum wage,” he said.

    The NLC president noted that the theme for this year’s celebration was apt, as Nigeria failed to protect its citizenry especially workers, from the daunting challenges occasioned by the Coronavirus pandemic.

    He noted that a recent research by Nigerian scholars said that the COVID-19 inspired lockdown threw an estimated 27 million Nigerians into poverty, ballooning the community of the working poor in Nigeria.

    According to him, this revealed that workers are the major targets of the growing insecurity across the country.

    The NLC boss further stated that in spite of efforts by government and private sector employers, millions of Nigerian workers had lost their means of livelihood and slipped into destitution, lack and misery.

    Wabba added that the weakness of the social protection system further aggravated the pain and frustration of workers.

    He noted that the recent unemployment statistics of 33.3 per cent as released by the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics (NBS), occasioned by the pandemic and arbitrary sack of workers by some state governors, had further driven the spate of insecurity being witnessed.

    “Human insecurity as marked by mass unemployment is the main driver for the physical insecurity besieging our dear country.

    “Part of the challenge of unemployment and insecurity is the crisis of poor governance. Weak budgets that led to poor appropriations and poorer budgetary oversight is the bane of our development.

    “It is unfortunate and a terrible injustice to the memory of Nigeria’s founding fathers, that virtually every part of the country has been engulfed by one form of security challenge or the other,” he said.

    Wabba, while however commending the efforts of the nation’s security apparatus, called for increased efforts and routing of security votes, through the normal budgetary process for proper oversight and accountability.

    On casualisation of workers, he urged government and private employers of labour to end the slavery of workers by consolidating the milestones already gained in the current labour law review.

    Wabba also said that Nigerian workers reject any further hike in electricity tariff, while calling for adjustments to the gas price for the power sector, suspension of gas price increases, for the next three years in order to support electricity tariff stability.

    “It is clear that the factors fuelling incessant hike in electricity tariff such as the dollarisation of gas used by GENCOs to run our power stations are issues that government can control.

    “As we speak, the promise by government to force DISCOs to mass deploy meters has been poorly pursued as pre-paid meters are still hoarded by DISCOs and sold at high price to frustrated consumers.

    ”It is on this premise that we say no to further increases in electricity tariff,” he said.

    He also raised concerns over Nigeria’s high debt profile, saying that the bulk of the adverse implications of the unreasonable risks usually affects common Nigerians and workers the most.

  • [EXCLUSIVE] May Day 2021: How Nigerian Governors are handling New Workers’ Wage

    [EXCLUSIVE] May Day 2021: How Nigerian Governors are handling New Workers’ Wage

    April 18 2021 makes it two years since President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the bill to increase Nigeria’s minimum wage.

    The new wage bill puts the minimum monthly salary of an average Nigerian worker at 30,000 naira ($98); from 18,000 naira.

    But as the world marks the 2021 Workers Day today, it is clear that, in Nigeria at the moment, very little of the fate of workers especially those at the subnational (state) seems to be worth celebrating. With the current economic reality in Nigeria where the movement of goods and services is completely at the mercy of the stabilization fuel price, the collapsed Naira value and the mounting insecurity, one will agree that the non-implementation of the new minimum wage by some state governors and the deliberate “robbing Peter to pay Paul” strategy employed by other governors, calls for national empathy for the Nigerian workers today.

    From Kaduna to Kano, Zamfara down to some north central states, up to some southern states, it’s been one excuse or the other. It is either threat of sacking state civil servants or deliberate non-payment of their wages as ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari sanctioned new wage law.
    President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Quadri Olaleye, in February this year noted that some of the states found wanting include Benue, Cross River and Ekiti. Some others have only implemented the new wage for workers on levels one to six with backlogs of arrears on promotion. Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ogun are with huge remittance on deductions. The story is not different in Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Taraba, Kano, and Zamfara.

    In Kaduna, Governor Nasir El-rufai, recently announced his notice of disengagements of workers in the state public service. According to Governor El-Rufai in a statement made available to ThenNewsGuru.com, TNG on April 13 this year, his administration being the first to implement the new minimum wage in September 2019 is now faced with a significant increase in wage burden.

    “While the Kaduna State Government believes that public sector wages overall are still relatively low, their current levels are obviously limited by the resources available to the government. What each public servant earns might be puny in comparison to private sector wages, but the total wage bill consumes much of the revenues of the state.” El-Rufai said.

    “The desire to pay more is a sentiment that must bow to the limits prescribed by the ability to pay….Therefore, the state government has no choice but to shed some weight and reduce the size of the public service”. He added.

    This has sent cold shivers down the spine of a lot of the workers in the state who are battling with the vagaries of the current harsh economic reality in the country and in their state. The security threats from bandits which has made Nigerian farmers not to be able to engage in farming and other agricultural activities which they are known for, has added to the fears of the workers.
    Although Governor El-Rufai promised to ameliorate the expected effects the disengagements may cause on the affected workers, however, marrying words with action has always been the bane of the average Nigerian politician.

    In Kano, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje just recovered from a mild rift with labour over non-implementation of the new minimum wage and his deliberate deduction of workers salary in March 2021. After a day-long negotiation on April 8, labour shelved its decision to embark on a warning strike after the governor and his team promised to refund the deduction they did in March. However the old minimum wage of Eighteen Thousand Naira (N18,000) is what the Kano state workers have to make do with for now.

    In Taraba, Governor Darius Ishaku had to make a pledge of working out modalities to start paying the new minimum wage between April to June before the workers ended the over two weeks strike they began on March 22 this year. The Taraba workers expect the governor to get back to them by June this year as promised. The also told the governor to stop hiding under the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) crisis to deny them their right of the new national minimum wage.

    Currently, on the good books of the Nigerian Labour congress are; Borno, Delta, Ebonyi, Edo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Lagos, Ondo, Sokoto, Yobe and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) who have commenced the implementation of the new minimum wage.

    As Nigeria marks the workers day today, it is hoped that other state governors will be moved to motivate their state workers who have been the backbone of their various stewardships.

    This year’s Workers Day will particularly commemorate the efforts of Nigerian Workers throughout the COVID-19 crisis, where their importance in the smooth running of healthcare and other sectors of the economy has been highlighted globally.

  • Minimum wage mirage: Kano faces reality – Dele Sobowale

    Minimum wage mirage: Kano faces reality – Dele Sobowale

    Dele Sobowale

    “We can’t pay full March salary over drop in allocation.”

    Malam Muhammad Garba, Kano State Commissioner for Information.

    On April 5, 2021, the Kano State Government bravely led the way by being the first to announce that it could not pay workers their salaries. Politicians being what they are, the government said the set-back was temporary to cushion the blow. Governor Ganduje has not sent me on an errand; but, Kano State is my second home. I spent more years working and living there than any other state apart from Lagos. Let me be the first to announce, not only to Kano public servants, but to all of them that the Next Level will now lead to more states failing to pay their workers. It was destined to happen.

    “Any policy which does not make economic sense will eventually fail”. That was verdict of economic-history as delivered by one of its leading scholars. I had kept that judgment to heart since 1965-6. Each time any government announces a scheme with a price tag to it, the first thing I do is to run some figures to determine whether the proposal is viable or not. Frequently, in Nigeria, most pronouncements by Presidents and Governors is hogwash – not to be believed.

    “Every government is run by liars; and nothing they say should be believed.”

    I.F Stone, 1907-1989, US Columnist.

    He published I.F Stone WEEKLY in the US until 1971 which was one of my must read publications then — when it did not cross my mind I will ever become a columnist. His disrespect for governments was most arresting. He contributed that statement to my book. Never again since Stone would any government take me for a ride. I know they are untruthful before they talk. The report of the new Minimum Wage in May 2019 with instructions for “immediate implementation” induced me to write a letter to two Governors in the South West warning about the dangers ahead. Let me share part of the letter with readers if not for any other reason than to expose how hollow the call by Presidents and Governors is. They often don’t mean what they say. Here is the warning made in 2019.

    There is an important national issue – Minimum Wage – which needs to be handled carefully by all the governments of the Federation to avert dire economic consequences. I am happy that you represent the two major parties. That Minimum Wage represents potential danger to every state – including those assuming that they can pay at the moment. Four major reasons account for that declaration.

    1. Timing is wrong. This year, the nation faces a drastic reduction in crude oil revenue which is the critical factor in the ability of the FG and states to pay the new minimum and still discharge other responsibilities to their people. States now spending close to 70 per cent of their revenue paying salaries will need to borrow just to cover the new payroll bill. How can that be possible when crude oil revenue sharply declines? Most states are drowning under huge debt repayment already without this albatross around their necks.
    2. Virtually all institutions and organisations worldwide – World Bank, IMF, World Poverty Clock, Fitch etc — acting independently and appraising the prospects for Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, this year have arrived at the same conclusion. Nigeria’s GDP will grow by less than 2.5 per cent. That means lower per capita income and deepening poverty. That also precludes possibility for states to increase their Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, significantly to help pay the increased bill.
    3. Nature is not kind to us this year. Delayed rains will inevitably result in poor food harvest. I know that from what is happening in my farm. Governments will be better advised to anticipate demands for food donations from starving Nigerians late this year and early 2020. Herdsmen have not helped either.
    4. Heightened insecurity nationwide means only one thing – governors will be called upon to spend more on combating crimes in their states on a scale never before experienced in this country.

    “If gold rusts, what then will iron do?” Geoffrey Chauser, 1342-1400.

    The letter was sent by DHL to Governors Fayemi and Makinde of Ekiti-APC and Oyo-PDP respectively. None of them acknowledged receipt of the letter. Yet, I acted in the belief that the two were among the most enlightened of our leaders. Three letters written to one Governor and two Senators in the USA were promptly answered despite my not being a US citizen. The difference is clear.

    States are in the predicament predicted in private to the two governors. I actually had a proposal to help governors of all states minimise the maximum wage fall-out. But, you can only talk to people whose ears are open. From all appearances, it might be better to go and talk to a wall than a Nigerian governor. Kano is better than several states in this regard. So, if the richest state in the North is catching cold, the rest are almost dying of pneumonia on this matter.

    “Truth is constant.” Kano is among the top six in federal allocation to states. Its monthly revenue from that source is almost equal to those of Plateau, Gombe and Nasarawa states combined. Yet, a group of senseless individuals have decreed that all the states must pay the same salaries to everybody from Governor to Gateman. In no other federation in the world is this the practice. To make matters worse for the governments of poor states, those negotiating on both sides take their bearings from prices of goods and services in Lagos and Abuja. To listen to many Labor leaders, rent is the same in Lagos and Langtan; food costs the same in Abuja and Aba and there is traffic jam everywhere resulting in high transport charges. We all know these are not true reflections of the situations we experience. But, lazy negotiators start from those faulty premises and go on to arrive at wrong conclusions.

    Labour representatives are particularly guilty of selfishness. What they rake in is a function of what they get states to pay – irrespective of whether it is sustainable or not. They don’t care about the wide disparities in the abilities of states to pay. They blackmail politicians to obtain dodgy concessions. The agreement of 2019 is unravelling right now. Kano is only the beginning.

    CAN THE FED PAY?

    It is doubtful if the FG which started all the palaver can itself pay its workers all the entitlements under the new Minimum Wage scheme. That explains why we now experience so many strikes at once. A new Minimum Wage automatically increases all the entitlements which are percentages of salary. The total package is unpredictable in advance. Governments must ask themselves if they can afford to pay. It is useless for governments to promise what they don’t have to give.

    BREAKING NEWS

    “Kaduna justifies mass sacking as NLC convenes prayer summit.” April 13, 2021

    I was just finishing the last paragraph when my vendor came with the papers. With me the policy is “news first”. So, I stopped to read the papers. There was no surprise for me with regard to the developments in Kaduna. Very soon, virtually all the governments will wield the axe and chop off workers. The victims will have only the NLC to thank for their misfortunes. To go from N18,000 to N30,000 and then zero is no joke. Another recession is on the way.

    I warned NLC and governments; but, they have no ears for listening.

  • Minimum Wage/ NLAC: In Praise of Minister Chris Ngige, By Issa Aremu

    Minimum Wage/ NLAC: In Praise of Minister Chris Ngige, By Issa Aremu

    Having related with dozen of Ministers of Labour during my eventful 35 years in the labour movement, I bear witness that Senator Chris Ngige, stands out among the best for his statesmanship in upholding the cherished core values of tripartism, Decent work, defense of workers rights that Nigeria signed into as a long standing member of International Labour Organization ( ILO). ILO Membership is a national heritage. Nigeria has been an ILO member since 1960, on attaining independence. The country has also commendably ratified 40 international labour Conventions compared to United States which has ratified only 14 of 189 ILO Conventions despite being member of the executive body ILO Governing Body. ILO Convention 28, the Minimum Wage Fixing Machinery Convention of 1928 (No.26) and the Minimum Wage Fixing Convention of 1970 (No131) are notable conventions with Nigeria’s signature. The conventions provided international biding framework for the first national Minimum Wage in 1981 as demanded for by NLC’s Chatter of Demands initiated by the founding leadership of NLC led by Alhaji Hassan Sunmonu. Since 1981 there had been significant four reviews of National Minimum Wage: 1990 (N250 per month), 2000 (N5,500 per month, 7,500 for Federal employees, N6000 for Delta and Rivers states), 2011 ( N18,000) and 2018 (N30,000). Thanks to organized Labour’s demand and struggles led by the Nigeria labour Congress! While many enlightened employers in private and public sectors uphold minimum wage principle, regrettably the notable gain of Nigeria’s working class has come under varying attacks in recent times by some few governors who often claim inability to pay negotiated rate. Ironically minimum wage negotiation process is inclusive of governors. I recall that at the height of the negotiation for the latest minimum wage in 2018, Abdulaziz Yari, then chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), reportedly said that governors “are not against the upward review of the minimum wage but they only lack capacity to pay it”.The received wisdom had it that if there is the will, there would always be some ways. Many governors like Abdulaziz Yari feigning inability to pay minimum wage paradoxically exhibited enormous will to seek “ways” and “means” to finance and refinance serial televised primary and indirect political party primaries with some delegates paid in sundry currencies (and certainly more than national minimum wage!). Governors’ Forum under Yari had scandalously proposed N20000. Precisely because yours comradely “was involved” (apology to late Nkemba Chief Emeka Ojukwu), I can disclose that no political party accepts N30000 for local government or house of assembly nomination form, the amount a worker with a wife and four children earns in a month. Former President Goodluck Jonathan also demonstrated uncommon statesmanship and resisted the pressures of Governors Forum under Rotimi Amaechi not to sign N18,000 minimum wage Act of 2011. However the most unhelpful, uninformed and most dangerous controversial attack on the principle of National Minimum Wage lies in the recent private member bill sponsored by Hon. Garba Datti Mohammed representing Sabon Gari Federal Constituency in Kaduna State. The bill seeks to move minimum wage from Exclusive list to concurrent legislative of the 1999 constitution. Some Governors have even inexplicably and ingeniously argued that the bill was part of a “national restructuring”, the new buzz word by the political class to escape from the challenge of good governance. The controversial bill had passed second reading at the House of Representatives before thousands of members of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) marched into the National Assembly to protest against move by lawmakers to remove minimum wage matters from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list. Should the bill become law, the federal government will not have exclusive jurisdiction to determine a national minimum wage and states will now have the power to determine their own minimum wages, preferably down wards. It is to the eternal credit of Minister Chris Igige that he rose in defense of the principle of minimum wage which is also enshrined in 1999 constitution. Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, at the inaugural meeting of the newly-constituted National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) in Owerri, Imo State capital, reiterated the government’s position in defense of minimum wage on exclusive list. He said it was based on the need to comply with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 144 to which Nigeria is a signatory. With this singular Honourable intervention, Minister Igige would be credited with the best labour practice legacies, just like some Labour Ministers who had commendably defended Workers’ rights despite political pressures. I recall that Dr Emmanuel Udogu was the Labour Minister under General Abubakar Abdulsalam as the military head of state following the death of the maximum military dictator: Sanni Abacha. Despite political pressures by some anti-labour forces in Abubakar military junta to retain obnoxious decrees promoted by his predecessor Minister Uba Ahmed, Dr Emmanuel Udogu commendably upheld the sanctity of ILO conventions and progressive labour laws Nigeria had signed into. His predecessor, Alhaji Uba Ahmed, the Honourable Labour and Productivity Minister, had enthusiastically promoted obnoxious Decree No. 4 of 1996 which chose to ‘reinvent’ the country’s trade unions by providing legal backing for the restructuring of the hitherto 41 into 29 industrial unions as well as redefining union membership through exclusion of so called “non-card-carrying members”. Uba Ahmed also promoted the notorious decrees 9, 1 0 and 24 which dissolved the Executive councils of the NLC, NUPENG, PEGASSAN, ASSU and NASU (almost in that order). Dr Emmanuel Udogu as the Labour Minister engaged with organized labour to repeal these obnoxious and restore trade union independence in line with ILO conventions. History would credit Minister Igige and minister of state, Festus Kyamo that at times like this when national minimum wage principle is under attack, they acted like statesmen to uphold trade union rights even if not politically correct with some members of the ruling party. The point cannot be overstated that Minimum Wage on Exclusive list is a settled national question. Since the second Republic with the enactment of the inaugural Minimum Wage in 1981, only the Federal government through the Ministries Labour and Finance, Bureau of Statistics, has the data to engage organized labour and private sector before arriving at the national minimum to ensure Decent, not slave work and productivity. 21 years after uninterrupted democratic process, it is unacceptable that some legislators lack sufficient knowledge of 1999 constitution which puts critical factors of development like labour, capital and land on the exclusive list with a view of promoting a planned and balanced economic development of Nigeria. All Federations of the world maintain minimum labour, health, safety pension, welfare and financial standards failing which sustainable and harmonious development is impossible. 1999 envisages good governance and welfare of all persons in “consolidating the unity of our people which he says explains while it directs that suitable and adequate shelter, suitable and adequate food, reasonable national minimum living wage, old age care and pensions, and unemployment, sick benefits and welfare of the disabled are provided for all citizens”. I commend President Muhammadu Buhari for following in the footsteps of Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Musa Yar/ Good Luck Jonathan to increase minimum wage as part of agenda for Decent work, growth and development. Economic recovery would elude Nigerian economy until the country put an end to persistent crisis of compensation of the working class through enhanced purchasing power which is only possible through prompt and adequate payment of minimum and living wage for the employed workforce. The key to sustainable development is labour productivity in both public and private sectors which is only possible with motivated paid workers at work and after work through adequate pensions. Nigeria must remain committed to decent work agenda which include payment of a living wage to all categories of workers in the public and private sectors, as an investment in human capital is an investment nation- building. This is why the inauguration of the newly-constituted National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) is timely. It offers another opportunity to revive tripartism and social dialogue on critical labour issues at times like this which throws up covid: 19 pandemic and it’s attendant economic recession. The rationale for new minimum wage is simple; The ILO (which Nigeria joined at independence) has passed Convention 131 and Recommendation No. 135 1970 ratified by Nigeria show that:– national minimum wage fixing should constitute one element in a national policy designed to overcome poverty and to ensure the satisfactions of the needs of workers and their families; and– That the fundamental purpose of national minimum wage fixing should be to give earner necessary special protection as regards minimum permissible levels of wage. Many employers have the liberty to pay more as we have seen in year 2000 when Federal government, many private sector employers and some states paid beyond the legally permissible national minimum.

    Issa Aremu mni

  • Minimum wage: Organised Labour takes massive protest to Lagos, Ogun assemblies

    Minimum wage: Organised Labour takes massive protest to Lagos, Ogun assemblies

    Thousands of Organised Labour on Wednesday stormed the Lagos State and Ogun State Assemblies to protest plans by the House of Representatives to move the minimum wage from the exclusive list to the concurrent list.

    In Lagos, the protesters stormed the Assembly entrance with placards, chanting solidarity songs, resisting the plan to move minimum wage to concurrent list

    The protesters comprised the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), Nigerian Union of Local Government Workers (NULGE) and other unions.

    They described the bill as obnoxious. The bill was sponsored by Garba Datti, who represents a constituency in Kaduna State.

    The placards read: “Stop poverty and hunger! Reverse the price increase now,” “Removing National Minimum wage from exclusive legislative list a declaration of war on Nigerian workers,” among others.

    Speaking at the protest, Lagos State Chairman, TUC, Gbenga Ekundayo attacked Datti for being shallow minded and lacking the foresight to think and see ahead, saying that assenting to the bill would throw Nigerians into further misery because it would allow private employers to treat their workers as slaves.

    “We know the situation is a matter of the voice of Jacob and hand of Esau. We know the governors are beating the drum, and if we dance to it, none of us will like it. We have come to express our displeasure and ask that the bill be stopped immediately.

    “It only shows the shortsightedness of Datti because minimum wage is not only about the government; it covers every Nigerian, even those who work in factories. When the minimum wage is sent to the concurrent list, the factory workers will be at the liberty of their employers who would continue to use them as slaves, even in their own home. We have enough challenges already, we don’t want them to increase,” he stated.

    According to Ekundayo, people should look ahead and not just think of today, saying that if the National Assembly felt compelled to remove the minimum wage from the exclusive list, then members should also return to their states and demand that federal allocation be stopped, and that each state should then manage its resources.

    He said the lawmakers should also return to their constituencies and live according to what their states could afford, adding that as long as the nation operated a federal allocation regime, the minimum wage would remain a national law.

    Ekundayo warned that any attempt to do otherwise would be resisted with the last drop of blood, saying that labour would not allow the lawmakers to pauperise them further.

    “We expect our leaders and representatives to have some foresight, be creative, think and see ahead and not come with tools to kill and pauperise Nigerians. A time will come that we will organise to recall representatives who do not stand to protect workers and the common man.

    “We will shut the National Assembly, and if need be shut down the country is this bill is not stopped. They should prepare for a mega strike if they don’t stop this bill. As a responsible government, if u sign on to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention of 1928, which stipulates the minimum wage, and you have signed it as a national law, nobody should try to take it from us through the back door,” he said.

    Also, Chairman of NLC, Funmi Sessi described Datti as dishnonourable. She also accused the leaders of working to kill the common man by paying workers starvation wage instead of a living wage.

    She said labour had come to the Assembly in peace to register their displeasure against that unpopular bill sponsored against workers.

    Sessi said “if you want to sponsor a bill, it is good to call us together because we are all stakeholders. While other countries are looking for ways to give palliative to their people, especially during this Coronavirus pandemic, our own leaders are looking to kill us and take away our livelihood; but we will not allow that.

    “The policies of our government are always wicked and against the people. We are fed up. All we saw during the endsars protest will be a child’s play if this bill sees the light of day.

    “We don’t mind taking over the National Assembly until the decision is changed. Workers have the right to a living wage but what we get in Nigeria is starvation wage. That wicked dishonorable member that sponsored the bill feeds his dogs with food worth more than 30,000, monthly but workers should get 30,000 monthly. How much is that for a family of six?”

    Addressing the protesters, Nurudeen Solaja-Saka (Ikorodu II), assured that their requests would be delivered to the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mudasiru Obama, whom he said was on a state assignment.

    In Ogun, the workers, led by Emmanuel Bankole, said the National Minimum wage is the right of Nigerian workers, which must not be hijacked from them under any guise.

    According to Bankole, the national minimum wage is what protects unorganised workers, unskilled and the vulnerable, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to leave it on the exclusive list.

    In his message to the Speaker of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo, Bankole enjoined him to intervene by guiding members of the house not to vote in support of the removal of the minimum wage from the exclusive list.

    Bankole explained that the removal of the minimum wage from the exclusive list would breed poverty and inequality among the nation’s workforce, saying it is a declaration of war on Nigerian workers.

    He stressed that the protest would be the first stage of the struggle for the survival and livelihoods of millions of Nigerian workers.

    Responding, the Speaker assured workers that their request would be granted anytime the bill comes up for debate.

    Oluomo promised that all the demands of the Ogun NLC would be presented to Governor Dapo Abiodun, noting that all issues affecting workers’ welfare were being addressed by the State Government.

  • Minimum wage: NLC to embark on nationwide protest today

    Minimum wage: NLC to embark on nationwide protest today

    The Nigerian Labour Congress will today (Wednesday) embark on a nationwide protest over moves by the National Assembly to remove the national minimum wage from the exclusive to the concurrent legislative list.

    In a statement on Tuesday, the NLC said the protest will hold in the 36 states’ Houses of Assembly.

    It added that the protest will start from the Unity Fountain Abuja at 7:30 am to the National Assembly complex.

    The Congress had after its emergency National Executive Council meeting in Abuja last Tuesday, vowed to resist “any attempt to exterminate Nigeria’s working class”.

    The House of Representatives two weeks ago debated a bill to remove the powers to negotiate wage matters from the exclusive to the concurrent list, citing the inability of state governors to pay the N30,000 minimum wage for the move.

    According to a communique jointly signed by NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, and the acting General Secretary of the NLC, Ismail Bello, the bill is an attempt to undermine Nigeria’s working class.

    “The NEC decided that there will be a national protest action commencing from March 10, 2021, in the Federal Capital Territory and especially to the National Assembly.

    “The NEC decided that should the need arise, it has empowered the National Administrative Council of the NLC to declare and enforce a national strike action, especially if the legislators continue on the ruinous path of moving the national minimum wage from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list,” it read in part.

  • Minimum wage: NLC directs members to protest at NASS, State Assemblies

    Minimum wage: NLC directs members to protest at NASS, State Assemblies

    The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday directed its members across the country to occupy legislative houses from Wednesday next week.

    These include the National Assembly in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as well as the Houses of Assembly in various states of the Federation.

    According to the labour body, the directive is to protest against a bill seeking to take the national minimum wage from the exclusive list and allow state governments to fix minimum wages for workers.

    The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, made the announcement at a news conference in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

    He noted that the bill if allowed to be passed into law, would enable authorities in the states to enslave their workers.

    Wabba explained that the directive was part of the resolutions reached at an emergency meeting of the National Executive Council of the NLC.

    He said, “The NEC decided that should the need arise; it has empowered the National Administration Council of the NLC to declare and enforce a national strike action, especially if the legislators continue on the ruinous path of moving the National Minimum Wage from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List.”

    “The NEC warned that should the current artificial scarcity persist, that the various leadership structures of the NLC should picket petrol stations found to be inflicting pains on Nigerians,” the NLC president added.