The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is insisting that the National Assembly cut the salaries and allowances being paid to the federal legislators to the detriment of the economy and other workers in the country.
The Joe Ajaero-led faction of the NLC, who stated this while speaking with journalists in Lagos, weekend, said “the legislators’ jumbo pay does not reflect the economic reality at this time that the national treasury was shrinking.”
Ajaero, who also distanced his group from an alleged plan by the Ayuba Wabba-led faction of the NLC to join an anti-corruption protest being allegedly planned by the House of Representatives, queried the motive behind such partnership, describing it as hypocrisy.
According to Ajaero, the National Assembly, which salaries and allowances remain a subject of serious concern to Nigerians, has no moral standing to organise an anti-corruption protest.
It would even be bad enough for any labour union or leader to join such protest unless the legislators agreed to cut their pay, he said. “To collaborate with the National Assembly to protest against corruption, when they have not allowed their salaries to fall in line with the minimum wage, is wrong. If we do that, that is hypocrisy at its highest level. I am saying this without mincing words.
“The two NLC factions can still meet and agree on a date to protest in support of anti-corruption moves of President Buhari but not to be hypocritical about it by joining the National Assembly,” he said.
But before we do that, we must clean our house; we must make sure that our internal issues such as the NLC/Kriston-Lally housing project, the labour city transport issue, and NLC election rigging and all others that have given the labour movement are addressed.
“We should address issues that affect work and workers. That is the area we have extended our hands of fellowship, which we have done. Jumping into protest with the National Assembly is not what we need now. We need to fight against issues that affect the workers.
“If you have observed, there were pocket of actions in some states and strikes, which did not achieve desired result. It was because we didn’t work together. If we had worked together and some states proved stubborn and the electricity supply was cut off, no fuel and no bank operations, and not just walking around the streets, there would have been better result.
“Now, to say we are fighting corruption when your house is stinking is not our priority,” said Ajaero.
The NLC is currently operating two parallel bodies following an election in March this year that threw up disagreement and crisis within the congress. Joe Ajaero and Ayuba Wabba lead the two factions, respectively.
However, efforts are ongoing to reconcile the two factions. Recently, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State sought to bring the groups together.
Ajaero agrees a united NLC would achieve better results for the labour movement.
