Labour Suspends Warning Strike …As FG Agrees To NLC, TUC Demands

Just as indications were getting clearer by 12.00midnight, yesterday, that Nigerian workers would embark on a planned three-day warning strike to press home their demand for full implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage across board, leaders of Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) called off the strike after long hours of dialogue with officials of federal and state governments.

Though details of the negotiation were sketchy at press time,  a labour official said “ we have suspended the strike for Wednesday. The Federal Government has agreed to the implementation of the national minimum wage”. By that statement, it was gathered that the contentious issue of payment of minimum wage had been settled

According to reports monitored by The Tide, the Federal Government had agreed to comply with the new minimum wage amended Act 2011.

The report said that detailed negotiation on relativity implementation of the minimum wage would not be later than July 31, 2011. The minimum wage, it said, would be implemented from August 1, 2011 and arrears paid by the end of October, 2011

The industrial action became effective following the  insistence of the government to pay from Grade levels one to six only, with the promise to include Grade levels seven to 17 next year which the organised labour described as laughable.

At a meeting attended by the Minister of Labour, Director of  Budget, Chairman of Income and Wages Commission and Permanent Secretaries among others which began on Monday and lasted till late yesterday night, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim argued that the government had not made provision for Grade levels seven to 17 in the 2011 budget.

However, the organised labour is insisted that as a democratic government founded on the rule of law, the implementation of the new minimum wage which in itself is  an Act of Parliament of the Federal Republic of Nigeria should be obeyed in its totality and not to be negotiated.

NLC President, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar, said that the meeting was not to negotiate any salary for the workers as there was already a law in place.

“I do hope that we would all be working and talking with every stakeholder with sincerity towards coming out of this problem.

Nigerian workers have been patient all this period only to come to the tail end and begin to get a different story entirely. I think that is not fair to the workers,’’ he said.

Comrade Peter Esele, TUC President, said that it was unfortunate that the issue was still being discussed one year after.

“We should not be thinking of waiting till January next year for budget. I think if there is an emergency, we will rise up to it and I think right now, Nigerian workers have an emergency,“ he said .

Speaking on the issue yesterday, Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka  urged the Federal Government to listen to the agitations of Nigerian workers and proceed with the implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage across board.

Soyinka spoke with newsmen in Lagos, as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) were poised to begin the three-day warning strike today over the issue.

Soyinka said: “I am on the side of labour. The voice of the people is the voice of God. They should be listened to for once.

“Why should they wait till 2012 before the minimum wage is implemented?”, he asked

According to him, what the workers are asking for is not extraordinary and so, it should not become an issue for an unnecessarily long debate.

In his comment, a former Governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande advised President Goodluck Jonathan to approach the issue with maturity.

“I hope that the President will look into it and consider the plight of the workers,’’ Jakande told newsmen in Lagos.

He said that government must take responsibility if it should allow labour to embark on the strike.

“Why wait for the disruptions and at the end of many days wasted, agreements will still be reached,” he said.

In his reaction, the Lagos State Chairman of APGA, Chief Adesina Olayokun said that the party would support labour’s action.

Olayokun told newsmen that there was no justification for the non-implementation of the minimum wage agreement from March 2011, going by how much elected officers take home.

Also speaking, the Lagos State Chairman of the Citizens Popular Party (CPP), Chief John Uche urged Labour not to rescind their decision until all their demands were met.

Uche noted: “The new minimum wage is an agreement that Nigeria can afford to keep, judging by the country’s revenue that is wasted on elected public officials”.

However, the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) have urged Labour to continue to dialogue, rather than go on strike.

South West Secretary of the CNPP, Mr Austin Nnorom told newsmen: “There was need for Labour to rescind its decision to go on strike and continue to negotiate in the overall interest of the nation’’ .

In a similar situation, some lawmakers in Abuja yesterday urged President Goodluk Jonathan to pay the new National Minimum wage of N18,000 signed into law across board.

In separate interviews, Rep. Samson Osagie (ACN-Edo), said government had no option than to implement the new wage across board.

“As far as I am concerned, government has no option than to implement the wage it has pledged to Nigerians  before the elections and cannot renege on its promise after the elections.

“The way and manner it is being done looks as if it was an election gimmick by government.

“We, on our part as legislators, have done our bit by passing the bill. It is very ridiculous for government to refuse to implement it across board.”

He said that government had no excuse not to pay  the wage as the oil price and revenue expectations on which the budget was predicated had not dropped.

According to him, it is the responsibility of government to do budget, and if it discovers that the wage was not captured in it, it can always come up with an alternative.

“It is the responsibility of government to do budget, if they discover that they did not capture it in the budget , they can come up with a supplementary budget.

“The oil price has not reduced in terms of our daily production, revenue expectations have not dropped in spite of the economic and security challenges.

“If they are sincere about it, the National Assembly is ready to assist  by passing a supplementary budget.“Let government calculate what it will take and come up with a supplementary budget. They should not hide under the excuse of budget.”

Rep. Akpan Umoh (PDP-Akwa Ibom), said it was important for agreements to be honoured.

According to him, the situation at hand was  critical enough for government to source for fund to deal with the matter.

He said that the seventh National Assembly would not compromise on issues affecting national development.

Valentine Ugboma, Amieyeofori Ibim & Isaac Nwankwo

From Right: Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chubuike Amaechi, Former NBA President, Mr Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, and the current President, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mr Joseph Daudu,SAN, discussing at the NBA Conference on Criminal Justice Reform in Abuja On Monday.