Emmanuel Ukudolo
November 20, 2015 – The Trade Union Congress (TUC) is furious and currently spoiling for total showdown with governors, over threat to stop further implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage.
Most of the state governors have been implementing the minimum wage with some modification.
But at a meeting of Governors’ Forum in Abuja, the governors expressed their aversion to continued implementation of the minimum wage, justifying their decision with the excuse that the scheme was imposed on them and that they are no longer able to pay the wage following drop in international price of crude oil from $126 to $46 per barrel; a development that has impacted negatively on sharing of revenue to state governors.
But in a swift reaction, the TUC described utterance of the governors as laughable.
In a statement signed by President and Secretary, TUC, Comrades Bobboi Kaigama and Musa Lawal, the union warned that it is vehemently against what the governors have said, adding that it will stop at nothing to make sure that they go back on their words.
“The organs of the congress are going to meet very shortly to prepare for the war declared by the Governors Forum against labour and the toiling masses of the country”, the union said.
The TUC said the governors were economical with the truth to say that the minimum wage was imposed on them.
“There was a tripartite meeting, involving government at all levels, employers (through Nigeria’s Employers’ Consultative Association NECA) and the organized labour. One will say that the negotiation that took place fulfilled International Labour Organisation (ILO) standard of tripartism. After which the National Assembly enacted the new Minimum Wage Bill to law. And now, our leaders, the governors, short of suffering from total amnesia are talking of imposition”, the TUC said, adding that it is not only disappointed but fear for the future as Nigerians are daily confronted with policy summersault as development strategies.
“To start with, we had thought that the very essence of setting up the Governors’ Forum is for them to meet once in a while to discuss vital issues on how to move the country forward little did we know that we are absolutely wrong.
“For issues like reduction of national minimum wage and sack of workers to be discussed at what is supposed to be a high profile meeting sends a wrong signal. We are disappointed that governors who preached love, peace and progress few months ago are now singing a different tune”, the TUC said.
“They have suddenly realized they can no longer pay $90 a month, which suggests to us that they are asking for a merger! How can they not pay N18, 000 but they can have a 10- car convoy, six for wife, pay themselves ridiculous pension and severance pay, have houses in Abuja, Lagos, Dubai, London, USA; send their children to primary schools in London and stash millions of pounds in their mansions.
“This is heartless and barbaric! We are disappointed because we had expected the Governors Forum to be angling about true fiscal federalism and how to harness the resources nature has bequeathed to every state.
“We have always made it known that the cost of governance is high, especially as every state depends on federal government’s monthly allocation”, TUC said.
“One would have thought that the governors will think out of the box to explore the possibility of increasing Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) through exploration of resources, albeit abundant ones in their vicinity to improve their state resources”, it said and called for a review of the 1999 constitution along the line of 1963 constitution.
