The organised labour, yesterday, said that the Federal Government has before or on December 31 to send the tripartite committee report on N30,000 minimum wage to the National Assembly. Ayuba Wabba, NLC President Minimum Wage:
The three labour centres, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the United Labour Congress (ULC) took the decision after a joint meeting in Lagos.
The organised labour gave the ultimatum following President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement that a “high powered technical committee” would be set up to device ways to ensure that its implementation did not lead to an increase in the level of borrowing.
Buhari spoke at the presentation of 2019 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly in Abuja on Wednesday.
The NLC President, Mr Ayuba Wabba, who addressed newsmen after the meeting, said that setting up a technical committee could not be a condition for passing the minimum wage report to the National Assembly.
Accoridng to Wabba, the organised labour cannot guarantee industrial peace and harmony in the country if the wage report was not passed for implementation on or before Dec. 31.
“We reject in its entirety the plan to set up another `high powered technical committee’ on the minimum wage. It is diversionary and a delay tactics.
“The national minimum wage committee was both technical and all-encompassing in its compositions and plan. To set up another technical committee is alien to the tripartite process.
“It is also alien to the International Labour Organisations’ conventions on national minimum wage setting mechanism,’’ he said.
The labour leader said that issues on payment of minimum wage was a law that was universal, citing that other African countries like, Kenya, Ghana and South Africa had increased their minimum wage this year.
“If you increase minimum wage, you are increasing the purchasing power of the economy which will help to reduce inflation rather than increase it,’’ Wabba said.
He urged workers to be vigilant and prepare to campaign and vote against candidates and politicians who are not willing to implement the new minimum wage.
Mr Joe Ajaero, President of ULC, also called on the government to send the report to lawmakers so that the implementation of the new minimum wage report would begin without delay.
Ajaero said that all affiliate members of the organised labour had been informed to be alert ahead of the Dec. 31 notice if the government failed to submit the report.
The organised labour had planned to go on a nationwide strike on Nov. 6, following the Federal Government’s delay to accept the N30,000 minimum wage agreement.
Meanwhile, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP) has given the Federal Government a three-week ultimatum within which to resume “re-negotiation” with its national executive to avert a nationwide industrial action by its members.
SSANIP, according to a release made available to journalists in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, Adebanjo Ogunsipe, said the resolution was made at its 58th National Executive Councils/General Executive meeting held at the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi State.
Ogunsipe said the Association frowned at the apathy and continued delay of the re-negotiation of the 2010 agreement the Federal government had with all unions in the polytechnic sector.
In a similar vein, the senior polytechnic administrators called on the National Assembly to expedite actions on the bill for the review of polytechnic Act, noting that the challenges confronting the polytechnic sector would abate if the bill is passed.
SSANIP expressed great displeasure over what it described as gross inadequate funding of state polytechnics and similar institutions by some state governors.
It urged state governors to live up to their responsibilities by adequately funding their respective polytechnics.
The polytechnics senior workers lamented the state of insecurity in the country with particular reference to the kidnap and death of its members at Oshun State College of Technology, Esa Oke and Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo and called on the Federal government to check the spate of insecurity across the nation.
On discrimination against HND holders, SSANIP’s apex body condemned in strong terms, the continued discrimination and marginalization of HND holders in the labour market, especially, by public and private organizations despite the abolition of the HND/B.SCdichotomy by the federal government.
It urged all stakeholders to adhere strictly to the federal government policy on the abolition of HND/BSC dichotomy.
In related development, the four-day warning strike called by aggrieved workers of the National Assembly has been suspended, our correspondent report.
The workers had under the auspices of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria (PASAN), last Monday commenced the action in protest of their unpaid 28 percent consolidated legislative salary structure (CONLESS), approved since 2010, as well as other issues bordering on poor conditions of service.
ýAddressing news men in Abuja to update the public about on the warning strike, the Chairman of PASAN Comrade Musa Muhammed Bature and other union leaders disclosed that the strike action had been suspended as some of their demands were being addressed by the management.
According to him, the management had agreed to implement 28 percent increment in the Consolidated Legislative Salary Structure (CONLESS) after lengthy discussions with the workers and that its payment would start from January next year.
He further disclosed that on the review of condition of service, the management had confirmed that both the two Chambers of the National Assembly had passed the document and that the process of harmonisation had commenced and would be formalised as soon as the document was endorsed.
The union leader explained that on the issue of promotions, the management vigorously agreed that outstanding letters of promotion would be released as soon as work resumes while on the issue of no vacancy, a committee was set up with the union to identify available vacancies before the end of the year 2018.
Speaking on the constitution of the Commissioners of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC), he said that the names of the nominees had been forwarded to the President for appointment.
The Union said that they continue negotiations with the management on those issues and thanked the workers for their commitment to ensure the success of the strike.
They had issued a notice of strike to the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and Secretariat of National Assembly Service Commission on Friday December 14, 2018.