Minimum Wage Impasse: Labour Begins Indefinite Strike, Oct 16

The organised labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), rose from a crucial meeting with the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC-Trade Union Side), Wednesday night, with a clear warning to the Federal Government that it could no longer guarantee industrial peace and harmony in the country, if workers’ demands were not met at the close of work on Wednesday, October16, 2019.
In a statement released after the meeting, last Wednesday evening, the organised labour demanded that the issue of consequential adjustment, which the government was using to delay the commencement of implementation of the N30,000 new minimum wage should be concluded within one week.
Besides, the organised labour insisted on 29 per cent consequential adjustment for workers on Grade Level 07-14; and 24 per cent for workers on Grade Level 15-17.
It further rejected the government’s offer of 11 per cent for public workers on salary Grade Level 07-14 and 6.5 per cent for officers on Grade Level 15-17.
The statement was signed by the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, the TUC President, Comrade Quadri Olaleye, the Acting Chairman, JNPSNC (Trade Union Side), Comrade Simon Anchaver and the JNPSNC Secretary, Comrade Alade Bashir Lawal.
The statement said: “The offer by the government for salary adjustment of 11 per cent for public workers on salary Grade Level 07-14 and 6.5 per cent consequential increase for public workers on Grade Level 15 – 17 is not acceptable to Nigerian workers.
“We view the position of government as a show of insensitivity to the plight of workers and an attempt to collect with the left hand what government had offered with the right hand.
“We demand the reconvening of the meeting of the committee negotiating the consequential adjustment with a view to concluding the process that started on the May 28, 2019, within one week.
“Entering into an agreement with labour to the effect that salary of officers on Grade Level 07-14 should be reviewed upward by 29 per cent while that of officers on Grade Level 15-17 should be reviewed upwards by 24 per cent; and commence immediate implementation of the signed agreement on consequential adjustment of public workers’ salaries with effect from April 18, 2019, when the new national minimum wage of N30,000 per month was signed into law.”
It added: “In conclusion, the leadership of organised labour in Nigeria wishes to categorically state that the leadership of labour cannot guarantee industrial peace and harmony in the country if our demands are not met at the close of work on Wednesday, October 16, 2019.”
The statement further stated that the organised labour has out of its patriotic disposition demonstrated a great deal of restraint, consideration and patience with government.
In the course of negotiations for consequential salary adjustment, it added that the organised labour had to moderate its initial position of having 66.6 per cent upward salary adjustment for workers on salary Grade Level 07 – 17 by accepting an upward adjustment of 29 per cent for officers on salary Grade Level 07-14 and 24 per cent adjustment for officers on salary Grade Levels 15 – 17.
It said: “Despite this patriotic gesture, the government has kept insisting that it can only pay 11 per cent for officers on Grade Level 07-14 and 6.5 per cent consequential wage increase to public workers for officers on Grade Level 15-17.”
It explained that since the last national minimum wage of N18,000, workers have been forced to suffer huge inflation and astronomical hike in the prices of essential goods and services.
The statement read: “The country’s currency, the Naira had suffered devaluation from N150 to $1 in 2011 to N360 to $1 in 2019, a depreciation of 140 per cent.