Emmanuel Ukudolo
December 07, 2015 – The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has sent clear signal to governors that it has concluded plans to engage government in dialogue towards increasing the minimum wage from N18,000 to N52,000 per month.
TUC send the signal even as some governors have consistently said that they are no longer able to pay the N18, 000 minimum wage.
The TUC believes that the governors who are complaining are those who have spent state funds in prosecuting their campaigns and other frivolities only to turn against labour after winning the elections.
“They cannot use our collective wealth on their electioneering campaigns, payment of their children’s school fees abroad, foreign medical tourism, etc. only to come tell us they cannot pay salaries because the price of oil has dropped. They are not serious.
“Our position is that the searchlight beamed on the arms deal scam should be extended to board members of the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) who served for only five years and have set aside N2.7bn for themselves, whereas they offered us nothing but a privatisation exercise that has produced nothing but darkness.
“Lastly, we affirm that Nigeria has enough money to maintain its roads; we do not need toll gates that’s will only end up making the so-called big boys richer at the expense of everyone else”, the TUC said in a statement signed by President and Secretary respectively, Comrades Bobboi Kaigama and Musa Lawal.
Congress described as laughable the claim by some governors that N18,000 minimum wage was imposed on them when oil sold for $126 as against the present price of $41 per barrel and that they cannot pay it.
The labour chiefs ascribed the governors’ comments as occasioned by unbridled corruption and mismanagement of public funds by the governors and reiterated that the minimum wage was a product of tripartite meetings involving government at all levels, employers (through Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), and organised labour.
The TUC emphasized that the negotiations fulfilled International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards and resulted in passage of the Minimum Wage Bill into law by the National Assembly.
On the fuel crisis which has lasted for several months now, the congress expressed dismay that the sixth oil producing country in the world does not have functional refineries and has to regularly face the perennial fuel imbroglio, noting that the situation portrays Nigeria as an unserious nation in the comity of nations.
The statement advised the Federal Government to investigate news reports that fuel depots were selling petrol to members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN) for as much as N117 per litre rather than the government-controlled price of N87, and punish all identified culprits.
On the $2.1 billion arms deals scam, the statement recollected how the Congress championed calls for the release of soldiers condemned to death because they allegedly revolted against orders asking them to face the Boko Haram sect with obsolete weapons and equipment.
The congress said that though the fight among political gladiators in the National Assembly appears to had subsided, the House is yet to pass any meaningful bill into law six months after being inaugurated, preferring instead to expend much time and energy on the issues of government’s planned reduction of the legislators’ salaries and other allowances from N150bn to N120bn, a bill on social media, and return of toll gates.
The Congress asserted that the lawmakers must jettison inconsequential issues in a country gasping for breath and start making good on their promise of positive change by making needful sacrifice that would demonstrate real care for the ordinary masses of the country.
The Congress also decried calls by senators who demanded that toll gates be rebuilt to generate money to maintain roads.
The TUC said the $2.1 billion arms deal, fuel scarcity, corruption and return of toll gates to federal highways are issues scheduled for discussion as the Central Working Committee of the Trade Union Congress(TUC) prepares for a crucial meeting.
Other issues that will be on the table are minimum wage, corruption, N2.7bn set aside for the board members of National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), amongst others, the TUC said in a statement signed by President, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, and Secretary General, Comrade (Barr.) Musa Lawal.
