The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has pledged commitment to workers welfare while appealing to the Federal Government to urgently transmit the bill on the new national minimum wage to the National Assembly.
Ayuba Wabba, NLC president, made the appeal in a New Year message on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to him, 2018 remains one of the most traumatic for workers especially given the failure of government to enact and implement the new national minimum wage of N30,000.
“This is in spite of the unimpeachable tripartite process leading to the agreement by the social partners on the new national minimum wage.
“It is unfortunate that the Federal Government is yet to transmit to the National Assembly an executive bill for the enactment of N30,000 as the new national minimum wage.
“Government’s dilly-dallying on the issue has strained Government-Labour relations with a potential for a major national strike which could just be days away.
“Accordingly, we would use this opportunity to appeal to the Government to do the needful by urgently transmitting the bill on the new national minimum wage to the National Assembly.
“We also would like to use this same opportunity to urge workers to fully mobilise for a prolonged national strike and enforce their right,” he said.
The NLC president said the strike became the inevitable last option for labour, while calling on all Nigerians and businesses to understand and support it.
He, however, assured workers that their labour, patience and diligence would not be in vain.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has pledged commitment to workers welfare while appealing to the Federal Government to urgently transmit the bill on the new national minimum wage to the National Assembly.
Ayuba Wabba, NLC president, made the appeal in a New Year message on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to him, 2018 remains one of the most traumatic for workers especially given the failure of government to enact and implement the new national minimum wage of N30,000.
“This is in spite of the unimpeachable tripartite process leading to the agreement by the social partners on the new national minimum wage.
“It is unfortunate that the Federal Government is yet to transmit to the National Assembly an executive bill for the enactment of N30,000 as the new national minimum wage.
“Government’s dilly-dallying on the issue has strained Government-Labour relations with a potential for a major national strike which could just be days away.
“Accordingly, we would use this opportunity to appeal to the Government to do the needful by urgently transmitting the bill on the new national minimum wage to the National Assembly.
“We also would like to use this same opportunity to urge workers to fully mobilise for a prolonged national strike and enforce their right,” he said.
The NLC president said the strike became the inevitable last option for labour, while calling on all Nigerians and businesses to understand and support it.
He, however, assured workers that their labour, patience and diligence would not be in vain.
“We will continue to insist on accountability. The NLC will continue to promote worker-education and mobilisation through Congress education programmes and other union training programmes.
“These activities will be religiously held with the objective of positive impact on workers.
“Therefore, we urge government at all levels to consider workers as assets and partners in development rather than liabilities,” he said.
He stressed that the NLC would continue to insist that the elections are clean and that the congress focus was particularly trained on the 2019 general election.
Mr Wabba also said the NLC would continue to demand that both the election umpire and political actors play by the rules of the game.
“This is by shunning violence, election malpractices, vote buying, and manipulation of election rules and politics of bitterness.
“We will also deepen our campaign for good governance and fight against corruption in the same manner that we sustained the campaign for tax justice and illicit financial flows.
“We also demand that the recovered loot be invested transparently for the benefit of all Nigerians.
“We say no to the wanton killings under any guise in our country. It also shows a dearth of social justice and the reign of abject poverty. This is a serious setback to the fight against terrorism in our dear country.
“We wish to remind our political leaders that the security and welfare of the people must be the chief priority of any government’s policy and programmes,” Mr Wabba said.
He however reiterated NLC’s resolve to continue to push for the prioritisation of the welfare, security and wellbeing of all Nigerians especially workers of all categories.
He added that “we wish to assure Nigerians, workers that our resolve and commitment to the noble goals and aspirations of justice, equity, decent wages and accelerated national development remains unshakable and inviolable”.
