Minimum wage: Labour begins consultation, mobilisation ahead Tuesday’s strike

….As FG, labour adjourn meeting to Monday

The organised labour on Friday said it had started mobilisation of members ahead of the Jan. 8 strike over payment of the agreed N30,000 New Minimum Wage.

Workers in Lagos had been informed on the strategic roles to play while awaiting further instructions.

Recall that the three labour centres, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) and the United Labour Congress (ULC), had met on Dec. 20, 2018.

The organised labour gave the Federal Government on or before Dec. 31 to submit the Tripartite Committee Report on the N30,000 minimum wage to the National Assembly or face strike.

Meanwhile, the government is expected to meet with some of the labour leaders on Friday to forestall the planned strike.

Mr Chris Onyeka, Deputy General Secretary, ULC, said that labour had started reaching out to their allies and those in the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs).

Onyeka said that though not all members of the organised labour would be at Friday’s meeting with the government, the mobilisation would still continue.

He said that the plan was to seek audience with all relevant CSOs for their support and effective participation in the sensitisation strike scheduled for Jan. 8.

Mr John Johnson-Isok, an Iron and Steel union member, said that various executive members of the union were discussing modalities to make the strike effective, should the government failed to accede to their demand.

“Our demand is clear; transmit the N30,000 recommended by the National Minimum Wage Committee to the National Assembly for action, and we will wait for the lawmakers to take their decision,’’ Johnson-Isok said.

The planned strike may be all-encompassing, as the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), whose undergraduate members from the public universities, had been at home, may mobilise and join the action.

Mr Smith Olaitan, a student union leader, said that the ongoing strike by Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had paralysed academic activities in the universities.

However, some workers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the planned strike at the beginning of the year, would unleash hard times on Nigerians, unless averted.

The workers said that petroleum products, foodstuffs, medical and transportation services, including aviation and other essentials may be in short supply.

Labour suspended its national strike on the minimum wage about two months ago to enable the government to take a decisive action on it.

Meanwhile, the Federal Government says it will continue negotiation with Organised Labour on Monday to prevent the threat of strike over non-transmission of the New National Minimum Wage to the National Assembly.

Sen. Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment said this after meeting with the labour leaders on Friday in Abuja.

The National Executive Council of the NLC had threatened to embark on a nationwide protest on Jan. 8 to make government transmit the tripartite committee report on the N30,000 minimum wage to the National Assembly.

The labour ultimatum followed President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement that a “high powered technical committee” would be set up to study the report before transmitting to the legislature.

Buhari said the technical committee would devise ways to ensure that the new wage implementation did not lead to an increase in the level of borrowing.

Ngige said, “We are continuing the meeting on Monday and we are making progress. We have made substantial progress. That is progress in terms of transmission of the new national minimum wage.

“So, we are discussing ways to fast track and we are taking appropriate steps as required by us by law.

“Mr President is more committed to this as he was the one that set up the Tripartite Committee on the minimum wage and even inaugurated them and also put in all the resources,” he said.

Ngige earlier had said the meeting was called as a result of the communique issued by the joint Labour Centres in Lagos.

“That is when you informed government that you are not happy with the implementation processes of the report of the tripartite committee. So government decided to meet with you today and brief you fully on all we have been doing.

“If you have questions, you ask us so that we can be on the same page because Mr President is determined to give a minimum wage to Nigerian workers. But in doing so, he has to do a minimum wage that can be sustainable.

“In doing that, it means that we have to do a proper process in what we have to do. The national minimum wage is an existing act that needs amendment. So, it is not a question of only money.

“There are things that we need to do before sending the bill to the National Assembly and do it in a way to maintain the sustainable status of the minimum wage. This is why we have called you and for you to suggest to us.

“Also we will like to hear your own views or what we should add so that we can fast-track the process,” he said.

He added that: “we are aware that when the bill gets to the National Assembly, it becomes the business of all of us, including the public.”

Mr Ayuba Wabba, President, Nigeria Labour Congress said organised Labour believed in social dialogue in resolving industrial relations.

“We have had a social dialogue bothering on the national minimum wage as you are aware and the meeting decided to adjourn and reconvene on Monday for us to do further consultations before the issues are concluded.

“We have discussed all the issues and all the areas, particularly how we can ensure that the issue is put behind us. That is why we took such a long time, including having a timeout to consult.

“But we have not been able to conclude and we have agreed to reconvene to tidy the process. The issue at stake is to make sure that the bill is transmitted and also other auxiliary issues that government says they are trying to put together.

“We also want to see how the money gets into the pockets of our workers because a lot of economic factors have affected the current wage. But the major issue is that we have been able to have a meaningful social dialogue.

“But the process is not conclusive and we will reconvene on Monday. Monday is not too far from now since today is Friday. So, I expect you to be available to get the decision by Monday. The rallies on Tuesday will be determined by Monday’s meeting,” he added.

Wabba said that part of the report that was submitted was all inclusive of the main report and draft bill.