State of the nation: We are now ready to confront Buhari’s govt —NLC

THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared that Nigerian workers and the organised labour are now ready and poised to confront the present government over the poor state of the nation and bad governance.

Besides, the congress also warned the Federal Government that the issue of minimum wage must be concluded this year, saying that this will be in the best interest of the Buhari’s government.

“In fact, it is going to be in the best interest of this government to conclude with the issue of minimum wage before the end of this year – get the law out and let it become payable,” Deputy President of NLC Comrade Peters Adeyemi, made this known in an interview with Tribune Online.

He stated that there is a deliberate attempt by the Federal Government to delay the new national minimum wage and frustrate the workers.

Comrade Adeyemi was the leader of the Labour side to the Joint Labour/Federal Government Technical Committee on Minimum Wage and general secretary of the Non Academic Staff Union of Universities and Associate Institutions (NASU).

He said the workers and Nigerians were angry with the government, because there is hunger in the land, adding that the popularity enjoyed by President Buhari’s government at the onset of his administration has drastically gone down, and the workers are therefore ready to confront his government.

Asked if the leadership of the NLC are ready to confront the government, the NLC deputy president said: “It is not we that are ready, the workers themselves are ready. From what you saw at the May Day, the workers are poised for action. And in fact, we don’t have the power. The power we have belong to the workers. So, if you say workers, let us go and they say no; that was what happened during the fuel price increase. They were still saying let us give them some chance. But now, I can assure you that Nigerian workers are very angry. There is hunger.”

He pointed out that clearly, there is a deliberate attempt to delay the inauguration of the tripartite committee to negotiate the new minimum wage.

He also warned that if the government was planning to use the issue of minimum wage as a political instrument for 2019 election, “They are going to do it at their own peril,” because the anger of the workers would have overflown.

Adeyemi said: “What does it take as soon as the Federal Executive Council (FEC) gave the approval; they should name the chairman, and tell stakeholders to submit the names of their people.

“Do we still need to make noise before the committee is constituted? This delay is just a deliberate one to frustrate Nigerian workers. We are not happy about it. But let me say this. If they wait and wanted to use this issue of minimum wage as a political instrument or whatever, they are going to do it at their own peril, because as at that time, the anger of the Nigerian workers must have built up.

“You were at the May Day, you saw what happened. I hope they don’t do that. In fact, it is going to be in the best interest of this government to conclude with the issue of minimum wage before the end of this year – get the law out and let it become payable.

“Because, ideally if the committee starts work now, it should be able to conclude in three months. And then push it to the National Assembly. And let the National Assembly promulgate law.”

He stated that the NLC has to wait till government comes up with the committee because it cannot operate outside the general society.

Comrade Adeyemi said: “That is the problem. There are people who are so sentimental about this government. You were here when this government increased the price of petrol. When NLC said we want to challenge that, Nigerians were saying to us, they were ready for the increase. That labour was just causing trouble. When we said stay at home, they stayed on the streets, driving their vehicles up and down.

“That was the certificate that this government got. So, if we don’t use our brain even as labour leaders, the tendency is for us to be accused of wanting to destabilise this government. Don’t forget that this government came in with massive popularity. And they rode on that popularity until the Nigerian people are beginning to be unhappy with this government.

“So, now, if you do a popularity rating of this government, you will find out that due to the hunger in the land, the popularity has gone down. So, labour movement had to be conscious of this because the tendency is for us to be accused of wanting to sabotage this government.

“That is why everywhere I go, people say labour is no longer what it used to be. That is the truth, I accept that. But the truth is that the leadership of labour will not mobilize itself. It will mobilise Nigerians. And if Nigerians prefer to go with the President rather than go with the labour movement, we have to re-strategise. So, it is only now that we can confront this government.

“Prior to this time, people were still dancing to the music of change. But now, the reality is beginning to dawn on everybody. That was why you saw what happened at the May Day. It is no longer our fault.”