The leadership of Organised Labour in Nigeria has issued a deadline of Wednesday October 16, 2019 to the Federal Government to meet the demands of the Labour Movement over the Consequential Adjustment of salaries arising from the New Minimum wage of N30,000, or face nationwide strike.
The labour leaders in a statement issued at the end of their meeting on Wednesday in Abuja accused the Federal Government of insensitivity to workers’ plight judging by the government’ attitude in the stalled negotiations even as they called for urgent intervention on the stalled negotiation.
The leadership of Organised Labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) led by its President Ayuba Waba, and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) led by its President Quadri Olaleye met on Wednesday, 2nd October, 2019 with the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC-Trade Union Side) represented by Simon Anchaver and Alade Bashir Lawal Ag. Chairman, JNPSNC (Trade Union Side) and Secretary, JNPSNC (Trade Union Side) respectively, at the Labour House, Abuja.
The labour leaders said they had shown patriotic disposition and exercised enough restraints and patience with the government.
“In the course of negotiations for consequential salary adjustment, organised labour had to moderate its initial position of having 66.6% upward salary adjustment for workers on salary grade level 07 – 17 by accepting an upward adjustment of 29% for officers on salary level 07-14 and 24% adjustment for officers on salary grade level 15 – 17.
“Despite this patriotic gesture, the government has kept insisting that it can only pay 11% for officers on grade level 07 – 14 and 6.5% consequential wage increase to public workers for officers on level 15-17,” the statement said.
Labour noted that since the last national minimum wage of N18,000, workers had been forced to suffer huge inflation and astronomical hike in the prices of essential goods and services. They added that the country’s currency, the naira had suffered devaluation from N150 to $1 in 2011 to N360 to $1 in 2019, a depreciation of 140%.
“Furthermore, petroleum price has been hiked from N87 per litre to N145 per litre which translates to a 60% price increase. Electricity tariff has been increased by about 60%. Of recent, the Value Added Tax (VAT) has been reviewed from 5% to 7.2%.
“The nonchalant attitude of the government negotiating side has dragged negotiations for consequential wages adjustment unduly. Nigerian workers have exercised tremendous patience and restraint already,” the statement said.
The Labour leaders after their deliberations resolved that the offer by the government for salary adjustment of 11% for public workers on salary grade level 07 – 14 and 6.5% consequential increase for public workers on grade level 15 – 17 is not acceptable to Nigerian workers.
“We view the position of government as a show of insensitivity to the plight of workers and an attempt to collect with the left hand what government had offered with the right hand.
“We demand the reconvening of the meeting of the committee negotiating the consequential adjustment with a view to concluding the process that started on the 28th of May, 2019 within one week.
“Entering into an agreement with labour to the effect that salary of officers on grade 07-14 should be reviewed upward by 29% while that of officers on grade level 15-17 should be reviewed upwards by 24%,” the Labour leaders said.
They also demanded immediate implementation of the signed agreement on consequential adjustment of public workers’ salaries with effect from 18th of April 2019, when the new national minimum wage of N30, 000 per month was signed into law.
