N30,000 or nothing – Labour
N22,500 we’ll pay – Govt
The debate over minimum wage for civil servants across the country has continued to rage. The parties concerned in the negotiation have been going back and forth on the issue without a resolution. Last week, several meetings were held between the representatives of Federal, state governments and those of Labour. The meetings were deadlock.
Speaking for the state governors, Abdul’aziz Yari, Zamfara State governor and chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), said: “The welfare of all Nigerians is our ultimate concern. In all our states, we are concerned about the deteriorating economic situation experienced by the vulnerable segment of our population. In agreeing to a national minimum wage, however, the Forum is even more concerned about development, particularly in the health, education and infrastructure spheres.
“It is therefore, our considered position that since the percentage of salaried workers is not more than five percent of the total working population, our position must not just reflect a figure, but also a sustainable strategy based on ability and capacity to pay, as well as reflective of all our developmental needs in each state.
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“After all, Section 3 of the National Salaries Income and Wage Commission Act provides that ‘the Commission shall recommend a proposition of income growth which should be initiated for wage increase and also examined the salary structure in public and private sector with reasonable features of relativity and maximum levels which are in consonance with the national economy.’
“It is in this sense that we feel strongly that our acceptable minimum wage must be done in such a way that total personnel cost does not exceed 50 percent of the revenue available to each state. Governors therefore, agreed to pay a national minimum wage of N22,500.
The Organised Labour, made up of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the United Labour Congress (UTC), believe in action. Labour has since threatened to commence a nationwide industrial action on Tuesday, November 6. Apart from planning to ground the nation, Labour said it would frustrate the forth-coming 2019 general election. The Labour, represented by its president, Ayuba Wabba and his colleagues from the other two trade centres, accused the representatives of the Federal Government in the dialogue of manipulating facts.
Wabba was incensed that despite the agreement reached by a Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage for N30,000 minimum wage, and that report of which was being made ready for submission to President Muhammadu Buhari, the Labour Minister, Chris Ngige, appears to be stammering on the agreement. Ngige’s claim that the committee had agreed on the Federal Government offer of N24,700 for federal civil servants and N20,000 for their state counterparts, riled the Labour leaders to no end.
The NLC president frowned at the alleged manipulation and bending of facts in an attempt to delay or derail the processes needed to promulgate a new minimum wage act by the minister.
“The demand of organised labour is not N30, 000. Our demand is N66, 500. N30,000 is the compromise figure arrived at the end of negotiations by the tripartite partners – government, employers and organised labour. The new minimum wage was a product of intense negotiations that lasted for almost one year,” Wabba said.
According to him, “The governors had six representatives on the Tripartite Committee – one state governor represented each of the geo-political zones. The representatives of the state governors were part and parcel of the work of the negotiating committee from beginning to the end.
“It is important to note that the national minimum wage is not an allocation to workers. It is a product of negotiation by the tripartite partners. The unilateral pronouncement by governors of N22, 500 minimum wage is an abuse of every known principle of industrial relations, labour laws, processes and international best practices.”
Controversy
Drop Obi or lose – Northern youths
No going back on it – S/East youths
Reacting to the threat over Obi, several Igbo groups under the aegis of National Igbo Youths Council (NIYC), affirmed the sacrosanctity of Atiku’s choice.
“Mr. Peter Obi has never sponsored or be a backbone of Biafra agitation as alleged by northern youths. It is on records that before the release of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu from prison and after, he did not have any contact with Mr. Peter Obi.
The humility and simplicity of Mr. Peter Obi and his subsequent nomination as running mate to PDP presidential candidate have sent shivers and political jittery to enemies of progressive Nigeria.
We the grassroots Eastern Nigeria-based groups condemned in its totality, the statements credited to the Coalition of Northern Youths groups that AtikuAbubakar should drop Mr. Peter Obi as his running mate.
Ndigbo have never opposed to the candidature of norther region on elective positions, why should norther youths think that they will dictate or direct which candidate will emerge from Igboland?
This sponsored statement from our counterpart in northern region is a political insult to Ndigbo, it is capable of igniting political rancor among the Arewa and Igbo youths.
Peter Obi has been a nationalist that has grassroots base and followers in every state of Nigeria; he has established his philanthropic, youth empowerment, academic/economic and human development projects in the northern region and other parts of Nigeria. He has a good relationship with leaders of northern Nigeria.
