Kwara LP candidate supports struggle for new minimum wage

LABOUR Party (LP) candidate in 2019 governorship election in Kwara state, Comrade Issa Aremu, has declared support for a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

Organized labour had issued the Federal Government 14-day ultimatum that commenced on Wednesday, September 12 with demand that the Tripartite Committee on the new National Minimum Wage should conclude its work within the stipulated time frame.

In a statement signed by the LP candidate and made available to journalists in Ilorin on Tuesday, he said that it was not too late to avert industrial crises if the federal government offers leadership and conclude the year-long negotiation before the expiration of the deadline given to it by organized labour.

He said that should federal government fail to reach an agreement with the labour, workers would not hesitate to mobilize its members in the 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory to join the mass protest by the organized labour.

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According to the labour leader, economic recovery would elude Nigerian economy until the country puts an end to what he called “persistent crisis of compensation of the working class through enhanced purchasing power which is only possible through prompt and adequate payment of minimum and living wage for the employed workforce.”

He said that the key to sustainable development is labour productivity in both public and private sectors which is only possible with motivated paid workers at work and after work through adequate pensions.

“For us in the Labour Party, we remain committed to decent work agenda which include payment of a living wage to all categories of workers in the public and private sectors, as an investment in human capital is an investment in nation-building,” he said.