The organised labour on Thursday rejected plans by the Federal Government to set up another high-powered technical committee on the new national minimum wage.
It threatened to recall its suspended nation-wide industry action following the failure of the Federal Government to transmit the new N30,000 national minimum wage report to the National Assembly (NASS) before December 31, 2018.
In a communiqué signed by Ayuba Wabba, President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC); Bobboi Kaigama, President, Trade Union Congress (TUC), and Joe Ajaero, President of United Labour Congress (ULC), after the national leadership meeting in Lagos, the labour leaders warned that they would not guarantee industrial harmony after December 31 , 2018 and, therefore, rejected any attempt by the Federal Government to set up another high-powered technical committee on the new national minimum wage, saying it was diversionary and a delay tactics.
The leadership of the organised labour unions, after reviewing the implementation of the new national minimum wage policy, affirmed that almost two months of the submission of the 2018 national minimum wage tripartite committee’s report, which included a draft bill, no bill had been submitted to the National Assembly for passage into law.
They explained that the Federal Government was expected to transmit the new national minimum wage bill to the National Assembly on or before December 31, 2018, but instead proposed another committee, and as at today there was no indication that something of such had been done in the past.
They noted that the Federal Government’s planned high-powered technical committee was alien to the tripartite process and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention on national minimum wage setting mechanism.
They urged Nigerian workers to be vigilant and prepare to campaign and vote against candidates and political parties who were not in support of the implementations of the new national minimum wage.
The NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said: “As far as we are concerned, all the issues have been addressed by the Tripartite Committee.
“This one is a delay tactics by the Federal Government and it will not work.”
TUC’s President, Comrade Bobboi Kaigama, said: “If government fails to transmit the bill to the National Assembly for implementation on or before December 31, labour will re-open the suspended strike.
“Organised labour will not guarantee industrial peace and harmony if after the December 31, 2018, the draft bill is not transmitted to the National Assembly.”
ULC President, Comrade Ajaero, said: “It is not the duty of the Federal Government to know how the states or private sector will implement the minimum wage.
“The Federal Government should allow the labour union in each state to discuss with their states government on how to start the implementation.”
He, however, added: “Organised labour will not guarantee industrial peace and harmony if after December 31, 2018 the draft bill is not transmitted to the National Assembly.”
