MINIMUM WAGE IMPLEMENTATION: Labour gives FG, states 2 weeks ultimatum •Says no to fuel price increase

THE battle has already begun over the continued delay in the implementation of the new minimum wage, as labour, on Thursday, threatened a mass revolt and declared its readiness

to embark on a nationwide strike to enforce commencement of the N18,000 minimum wage.

Already, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had issued a two-week ultimatum after their joint press conference, addressed by the NLC president, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar and the TUC president general, Comrade Peter Esele, at the Labour House, Abuja, on Thursday.

The organised labour also warned that it would not accept any increase in prices of petroleum products under the guise of deregulation, saying any such move would be resisted.

“Any attempt to increase the prices of petrol under the guise of deregulation will be resisted, and organised labour is willing, ready and capable of leading the Nigerian people on mass resistance against such unprovoked, unpatriotic move.

“Given the above manifest reluctance or failure of federal and state governments to implement the minimum wage, which has consequently caused implementation inertia on the private sector, organised labour, under the auspices of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, hereby issues a two-week ultimatum for full implementation of the minimum wage across the country,” Comrades Omar and Esele said.

The organised labour also declared that irrespective of what any state government said, anything less than N18,000 minimum wage was totally unacceptable.

Addressing the press conference under the title “Ultimatum on Implementation of National Minimum Wage,” Comrade Omar described as “dangerous cacophony” the outburst of some governors against law and order in Nigeria, regarding the status of the Minimum Wage Act 2011.

He said: “On behalf of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, we welcome you to this press conference, called out of a deep sense of responsibility and duty to rein in the dangerous cacophony of outburst against law and order in our country regarding the status of the Minimum Wage Act 2011.

“Having reviewed the state of respect of the minimum wage law, we have come to the sad realisation that no level of government has implemented the law, be it federal, state or local government, in spite of the law coming into effect since March 2011.

“In the case of the Federal Government, the Salaries and Wages Commission has been unable and/or unwilling to produce a table for implementation to federal public servants and so the Federal Government has not implemented the law.

“On the part of the state governments, while some are showing indication of wanting to pay, others that want to violate the constitution and the law are inclined to blackmailing their colleagues. The Governors’ Forum, in a show of reckless insensitivity to the plight of the Nigerian people has introduced strange elements into the scene, geared at subverting the process.

“Firstly the issue of new Revenue Allocation Formula, which requires constitutional amendment to achieve has been touted to be condition precedent to implementation of the minimum wage. We find this as laughable and completely unacceptable as the law is clear and unambiguous. All stakeholders were party to the formulation of the law and we know of a fact that they can pay the N18,000 minimum wage.

“Secondly, the sadistic introduction of the oil subsidy argument is essentially asking government to increase the prices of petroleum products and further impoverish the mass of our people. Again, we reject this, and state unequivocally that there can be no conditionalities for payment of the new minimum wage.

“Labour will never succumb to the blackmail of the masses to accept an increase in fuel prices. Any attempt to increase the prices of petrol under the guise of deregulation will be resisted and the organised labour is willing, ready and capable of leading the Nigeria people on mass resistance against such unprovoked, unpatriotic move.

“Our attention has also been drawn to the fact that some state governors are applying the twin evil tools of intimidation and timid compromise on the workers’ leadership in their states, by threatening mass sack and high taxation.

“We hereby serve notice that any state government that indulges in this or induces an illicit agreement to pay less than N18,000 will have to contend with a most robust form of resistance ever in the annals of workers’ solidarity in our country.

“Given the above manifest reluctance or failure of federal and state governments to implement the minimum wage, which has consequently caused implementation inertia on the private sector, organised labour, under the auspices of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), hereby issue a two-week ultimatum for full implementation of the minimum wage across the country.

“Unions in both public and private sectors are hereby called upon to begin immediate sensitisation and mobilisation of Nigerians for a nationwide strike at the expiration of this ultimatum. Anything short of N18,000 minimum wage is totally unacceptable.”

Esele, TUC President-General, said having given the two-week ultimatum, labour would not attend any meeting or negotiation parley any more with the government, adding that the nationwide strike would go ahead as soon as the ultimatum expired, if the implementation had not begun.

“If we are called 24 hours before the expiration of the two-week deadline, we are going to go ahead with our strike. What we expect is implementation; we have gone beyond any form of negotiation on this issue again. Let me ask a rhetorical question; if they are going to call us for a meeting, in that meeting are they going to go ahead and pay us N18,000 right away. No.

“One thing is clear, because what we are talking about is an issue of law. So, there is no negotiation any more. It is like taking somebody to a court and deliver judgment, judgment is delivered based on the law and the N18,000 we are talking about is strictly based on the law.

“So, whether the governors are saying they are having one forum or whatever forum they are having, what we are saying is that governors should go ahead and show that they respect the law,” he said.