Minimum wage: FG summons labour leaders to emergency meeting over nationwide strike

 

THE Federal Government has, on Wednesday, summoned the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the United Labour Congress (ULC) to a very crucial meeting over the nationwide strike declared by the organised labour, on the issue of new minimum wage.

 

But as the labour leaders headed for the meeting at the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Abuja, the organized Labour directed workers in both public and private sector to commence a nationwide strike from Thursday morning and remain at home till further notice.

Labour also said that all public and private institutions, offices, banks, schools, public and private business premises including filling stations are to remain shut till further notice.

The meeting is being conveyed at the instance of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige.

A two-paragraph invitation sent for the meeting read: “The minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, is scheduled to meet with organized Labour representatives on National Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee.

“The meeting is scheduled to hold on Wednesday 26 September 2018 by 1 pm, at the Conference Room of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Federal Secretariat Complex, Abuja.”

However, the organized labour said they would still attend the meeting even though it is not such meeting they are calling for.

Speaking with Nigerian Tribune, the General Secretary of NLC, Comrade Peter Ozo-Eson, said they were calling for the reconvening of the tripartite commented and not a meeting with the minister.

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He said: “In any case, we are not calling for a meeting with minister. We are calling for the reconvening of the tripartite committee. A minister is not the committee.”

Also addressing a joint press conference at the Labour House, Abuja, the NLC, TUC and the ULC said the workers have been mobilized to commence the strike from midnight today.

The President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba directed the workers to stay at home from midnight today until further notice.

He said the decision of the organized labour is due to the refusal of Federal Government to reconvene the meeting of the Tripartite National Minimum Wage Committee to enable it to conclude its work.

According to Wabba, the action is in compliance with the decision of the various organs of the labour centres which endorsed the 14-day ultimatum served on the Federal Government by members of the Organised Labour who are members of the Tripartite Committee on the new National Minimum Wage.

The NLC President said: “The Labour organs further mandated the leadership to take all necessary steps including a warning strike in the first instance to compel the government to reconvene the meeting of the Committee in order to bring it to a logical conclusion.

“In compliance with this mandate, all workers in the public and private sectors at all levels across the country have been directed to comply. Industrial unions, state councils, all worker organisations and our civil society allies have been directed to step up mobilization of their members.

“All public and private institutions, offices, banks, schools, public and private business premises including filling stations are to remain shut till further notice.

“All those who mean well for this country are to see to the success of this action. Furthermore, this action is to remain in force until further directives are given.”

Comrade Wabba said: “The National Minimum Wage Committee was inaugurated in November 2017 but commenced work in March 2018 with timelines to deliver on its mandate of arriving at a new national minimum wage in August/ September 2018.

“The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige in February this year during the 40th-anniversary celebration of the Nigeria Labour Congress, assured workers that they would have a new minimum.

“In order to meet this deadline, the Committee, in spite of challenges, worked assiduously and meticulously. In the course of the work of the Committee, members had ample time to consult and to take memoranda from across the country and across the sectors.

“The Committee was satisfied that it received memoranda and inputs from 21 state governments, specialised agencies of the federal government, the Organised Private Sector, Organised Labour and the general public.

“This was reason why the Organised Labour was outraged and shell-shocked by the decision of Government to adjourn the meeting of the Committee indefinitely to enable consultations by the Federal Government team.”

The NLC President, however, explained that the Federal Government decision was against the principle of collective bargaining, adding that the organized labour considered the conduct of the Federal Government as an act of bad faith and an insult to its members.

He stated that the members of the committee, out of uncommon sacrifice and patriotism had earlier hearkened to government’s appeal to delay negotiation for a new national minimum wage by two years.