The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has given states yet to negotiate and implement the N30,000 national minimum wage up till January 31, 2020 to pay the new wage or risk total shutdown of operations in such states by the organised labour.
Already, the congress has directed the leadership of all its state councils to begin mass mobilisation ahead of the January 31 deadline.
President of the TUC, Quardri Olaleye, who addressed journalists after the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the congress, in Lagos, said of the 36 states in the federation, only six have begun the implementation of the minimum wage, 15 others in negotiation process, while the remaining 15 have not even started negotiation on the consequential adjustment of the expected new salary scale.
He said: “The Congress commends the Federal Government for the eventual completion of negotiation with respect to the consequential adjustments and commencement of payment of the new national minimum Wage to federal workers.
Congress however advises all state governments who have not complied with the implementation and immediate payment of the N30, 000 minimum wage to commence negotiations and implementation on or before January 31, 2020, otherwise the state governments should be responsible for the consequences of their failure.
“State councils have been directed to commence mobilisation of their members immediately. This is no empty threat to the states. If they fail, by January 31, the governors should take responsibility for what will happen,” said Olaleye
Speaking other issues, including rising insecurity in the country and threat to global peace, the TUC called on the Federal Government to intensify more practical efforts towards wiping out killings, kidnapping and insurgency to save the country from total collapse.
Specifically, Olaleye urged the government to encourage more regions in the state to embrace the similar approach by the South-West, which has formed a special security outfit to combat insecurity in the six states that made up the region-Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo and Osun.
In furtherance of global peace, the TUC said its members would be participating in a global rally against war on January 25, 2020; in view of the vulnerability of workers in war period.
On the proposed review of Nigerian labour laws, the TUC described it as a welcome development in the believe that some of the laws are out-dated, but warned that the organised labour would, however, resist “attempt from any quarter to remove labour issues from exclusive legislative list.
Joshua Bassey
