Labour
FG, Labour Move to Avert Strike Over Minimum Wage
The Federal Government and labour unions are engaged in a last minute dialogue, to avert a nationwide strike by workers, slated for Oct. 16.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that labour has resorted to the strike option, following an apparent inability of government and labour to find a way out of the minimum wage logjam.
The two parties have engaged in endless and often fruitless meetings, raising anxiety and frustrations among public sector workers, who have waited patiently over the months for the new wage.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday at the continuation of a conciliatory meeting, the Chief Arbiter and Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, said the meeting was an opportunity for information sharing and an avenue to soften ground for a final meeting, slated for Oct.
15.He told the labour leaders to be open-minded in their dialogue so that both parties could get a way out of the minimum wage logjam.
Ngige said he believed that the meeting would bring an end to issues in contention, if both parties agreed and understood each other’s positions.
“If we don’t soften the ground bullets will fly and at the end of the day we will come back to the negotiating table. That is why we are doing this as a proactive measure.
“Part of my work is to ensure that there is a quiet industrial milieu. The workforce brings out their full productivity and employers, businesses will not be disrupted. That is why we called you again.
“Tomorrow, we are going to do the mix grill meeting. That mix grill meeting tomorrow can be one hour meeting, it can be two hours or it can be 12 hours, depending on what we are able to achieve today.
“I appeal to everybody to show some understanding.
“We are going to discuss dispassionately. Nothing will be hidden from anybody. The books of government, I talked about it before– when I mean books they are budgets– 2019/2020, we will make it bare.
“I have warned them and I have advised them that if they come they should be prepared to present their case, meaningfully and successfully.
“I will stay in the middle as an arbiter because that is what I am going to do in this instance.”
Also speaking, the Deputy President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Mr Amaechi Asugwuni, who spoke on behalf of organised labour, said that the meeting was called by the minister to share information with labour leaders.
He said that labour had made considerable shift on its demands from the earlier position on the consequential adjustment of the N30, 000 minimum wage.
“We all know the consequences of delay is never fruitful and as such organised labour has come here with open mind in ensuring that facts are facts, also the situations are already known to us.
“The economy is biting and as a matter of fact, we must assist the process at this time in ensuring that we close it earlier than needed so that we can avert the unforeseen.
“It is only when you don’t know where you are going that you will waste a lot of time doing nothing.
“The position of labour is very clear. It gives us the signpost of what we have asked for and where we are going. So every delay, every action taken is toward that position and we know that you will do your best to get there.
“We believe that the Federal Government will do the needful because ours is a straight forward proposal.
“We have made our proposal to the FG before now and government is to respond. We believe that by
tomorrow, we will get the FG’s feedback and know the next thing to do.
“Labour will not tolerate anything short of reasonable adjustment in the ongoing negotiation.
“The consequential adjustment is a matter of percentage which requires give and take principle. You state what you want but it depends on government to see sense in your demand.
“Labour has shifted beyond expectation. What government needs to do is to reciprocate by doing what is needful to appreciate the workers.
“We are talking about compensation, salary and legitimate compensation for work done. Inasmuch as we believe in the consequential adjustment, it has to be reasonable, otherwise, people will feel neglected.
“Tuesday’s meeting is the benchmark for labour’s action but mobilisation continues. The meeting will tell us the way forward because anything can happen.”
On the mobilisation for strike, Asugwuni said that the meeting on Oct. 15 would determine everything, noting that mobilisation was on top gear “for an industrial action from 17th October, 2019”.
NAN recalls that labour leaders are demanding 29 per cent salary increase for workers on salary grade level 07 to 14 and 24 per cent adjustment for officers on salary grade level 15 to 17.
But the Federal Government had presented a proposal of 11 per cent salary increase for officers on grade level 07 to14 and 6.5 per cent adjustment for workers on grade level 15 to 17.
On May 14, the Federal Government inaugurated the relativity and consequential adjustment committee, which in turn set up a technical sub-committee to work out a template for the adjustment of salaries of public service employees.
But government and labour have failed to reach an agreement over relativity and consequential adjustments for the implementation of the new wage more than six months after it was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.
In a communiqué issued on Oct. 7, labour warned that economic activities would be shut down from Oct. 16, if the Federal Government failed to reconvene a meeting of the committee on consequential adjustments. (NAN)
JUDICIARY
LG Autonomy: Supreme Court Judgment Meets Constitutional Order- Edeoga
Former Governorship Candidate of the Labour Party(LP) for the 2023 elections in Enugu State, Hon Chijioke Edeoga has hailed the Thursday ruling of the Supreme Court, which granted financial autonomy to the nation’s 774 LGAs.
Edeoga, in reaction to the judgment said in a statement in Abuja that the judgment was in line with the existing constitutional order.
“While it is suspected that the judgment may not meet the approval of advocates of political restructuring in Nigeria, there is no doubt that it accords with the demands of the existing constitutional order.
“The violation of the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by governors of Nigerian states has been going on with flagrant impunity for many years and under different administrations since 1999.
“Local Government Areas, recognized in the Nigerian Constitution as the third tier of government and the one closest to the people, have been deprived of the funds needed for grassroots development, thus existing at the mercy of state governors,” he remarked.
He regretted that over the years, state governors have made local government funds their cash cows, receiving and dispensing as they deemed fit, and without regard to the development imperatives of the councils, their employees, and their respective peculiar development challenges.
“This abuse has given rise to situations where local councils are forced to queue on a strange breadline, where governors favour some local governments while sidelining others.
“The offices of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-corruption agencies are stacked with files bursting with evidence of abuse of local council funds by state governors, whose prosecution has been hindered by red tape and other inexplicable reasons” he noted.
The former Governorship candidate recalled that during his campaign for the Governorship of Enugu State, he highlighted the deplorable management of local council funds in Enugu State and vowed that council funds would be sacrosanct if he won the election.
He said as a former local government Chairman, he knew the importance of those funds and the leverage they provide for rural development, employment generation, and economic empowerment.
“My belief is that rather than treat council funds as a source of free money as most state governors see them, I would ensure easy and direct access to it by council chairmen as a means of ensuring that local government councils become complementary to the state government’s development efforts,” he stressed.
He said his intention upon assumption of office was to empower Local councils and noted that the judgment will minimize the tendency of some governors and state officials to favour their local governments of origin while sidelining others.
“I am particularly relieved that the administration of President Bola Tinubu has taken this rare positive step towards restoring the glories of local administration in Nigeria. “Those of us in the Enugu State chapter of the Labour Party see this as a step in the right democratic direction and must single out President Tinubu and the Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, for pursuing this judgement with a single-minded determination and patriotic purposefulness.
“While we commend the current administration for the rare courage and vision deployed in pursuit of this case, we must also advise against allowing the judgement to form another layer of entry in our Case Laws. Nigerians are excited by the judgement and are looking forward to the restoration it would bring to bear on rural development across the country, and would be displeased if deliberate political, judicial, and institutional efforts are not made to ensure that implementation.”
“This judgement, it must be emphasised, is a PUBLIC INTEREST MATTER and has reignited hope of a possible grassroots development renaissance among the progressive-minded people that are interested in the development of Nigeria and the wellbeing of everyone” he stated.
COVER
Minimum Wage: Labour Rules Out Strike, Awaits Tinubu’s Nod
By David Torough, Abuja
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has ruled out strike action earlier scheduled for Tuesday (today) to demand a new national minimum wage.
The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, made this known yesterday during the ongoing International Labour Conference taking place in Geneva, Switzerland.
Ajaero said organised labour cannot embark on strike today because the figures presented by the tripartite committee on minimum wage were with President Bola Tinubu.
He clarified that the submission of N62,000 as proposed by the government and the organized employers’ body with labour proposing N250,000 does not translate to labour accepting N62,000 as the new minimum wage.
“The tripartite committee submitted two figures to the President. Government and employers proposed N62,000 while labour proposed N250,00o. We are waiting for the decision of the President. Our National Executive Council (NEC) will deliberate on the new figure when it is out.
“We cannot declare a strike now because the figures are with the President. We will wait for the President’s decision.
“During the tenure of the immediate past President, the figure that was proposed to him was N27,000 by the tripartite committee but he increased it to N30,000. We are hopeful that this President will do the right thing. The President had noted that the difference between N62,000 and N250,000 is a wide gulf,” he said.
The NLC president also berated state governors under the umbrella body of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum for rejecting the N62,000 minimum wage proposal.
“How can any governor say he cannot pay? They cannot also be calling for the decentralization of the minimum wage.
“Are there wages decentralized? Governors whose states are not contributing a dime to the national purse and who generate pitiable Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) are collecting the same amount as governors whose states are generating billions of dollars into the FAAC.
“They should decentralize their salaries and emoluments first.
“So, where is the governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki getting his money from? He is paying N70,000 minimum wage. This is the type of governor that should be emulated and not the lazy ones,” he added.
COVER
Labour Suspends Strike over Minimum Wage for One Week
By David Torough, Abuja
The Organised Labour yesterday suspended its ongoing indefinite strike action for one week over a new national minimum wage and reversal of the recent electricity tariff hike.
A joint National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of both Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) has approved to relax the industrial action for one week with immediate effect.
It was gathered that the development followed a tentative agreement reached between the Federal Government and the Organised Labour on the new national minimum wage on Monday night with a resolution to further engage daily for the next one week at the level of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage until a final agreement is reached.
The Federal Government had assured the Labour leaders that President Bola Tinubu was committed to paying a new monthly minimum wage above the initial offer of N60,000.
This was disclosed late Monday night at the end of a marathon meeting convened by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, in furtherance to the negotiation by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage (NMW) and subsequent withdrawal of the Organised Labour from the negotiation table.
Members of the NLC and TUC earlier on Monday embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike to press home their demands for a new national minimum wage and reversal of the recent electricity tariff hike, a development that paralysed activities in both public and private sectors across the country.
In a statement issued at the end of the meeting endorsed by the Ministers of Information and that of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Idris and Nkiruka Onyejeocha, respectively, on the part of the Federal Government, and NLC and TUC Presidents, Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, respectively, on the part of the Organised Labour, the meeting agreed on a four-point resolutions as a pathway to ending the ongoing industrial dispute.
“The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria is committed to a National Minimum Wage that is higher than N60,000;
“Arising from the above, the Tripartite Committee is to meet every day for the next one week with a view to arriving at an agreeable National Minimum Wage;
“Labour in deference to the high esteem of the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria’s commitment in (ii) above undertakes to convene a meeting of its organs immediately to consider this commitment; and
“No worker would be victimised as a result of the industrial action,” the resolutions read.
In a statement issued at the end of the meeting endorsed by the Ministers of Information and that of Labour and Employment, Mohammed Idris and Nkiruka Onyejeocha, respectively, on the part of the Federal Government, and NLC and TUC Presidents, Joe Ajaero and Festus Osifo, respectively, on the part of the Organised Labour, the meeting agreed on a four-point resolutions as a pathway to ending the ongoing industrial dispute.
“The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria is committed to a National Minimum Wage that is higher than N60,000;
“Arising from the above, the Tripartite Committee is to meet every day for the next one week with a view to arriving at an agreeable National Minimum Wage;
“Labour in deference to the high esteem of the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria’s commitment in (ii) above undertakes to convene a meeting of its organs immediately to consider this commitment; and
“No worker would be victimised as a result of the industrial action,” the resolutions read.
Tinubu Gives Finance Minister 48 Hours to Present New Minimum Wage Template
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has directed the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, to come up with the cost Implications on the new minimum wage within two days.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made this known while briefing State House Correspondents after a meeting the negotiation team had with the president at Aso Rock, yesterday.
“All parties to the negotiation of the new minimum wage would work together with the organised labour to present a new minimum wage for Nigerians in one week.
“All of us will work together assiduously within the next one week to ensure that we have a new wage for Nigeria that is acceptable, sustainable and also realistic.”
Idris also disclosed that the President had given a marching order that all those who have negotiated on behalf of the Federal government and all those who are representatives of organised private sectors, the sub nationals to come together to have a new wage award that is affordable, sustainable and realistic for Nigerians
The minister said Tinubu was committed to accepting the resolutions of the tripartite committee on the new minimum wage.
“We were all there to look at all issues, and the president has directed the minister of finance to do the numbers and get back to him between today and tomorrow so that we can have figures ready for negotiation with labour. Let me say that the president is determined to go with what the committee has said, and he’s also looking at the welfare of Nigerians.
“The government is not an opponent of labour discussions or wage increases.”
The minister said the president directed that the committee should work together to give Nigerians an “affordable, sustainable, and realistic” minimum wage.
“All of us will work together assiduously within the next one week to ensure that we have a new wage for Nigeria that is acceptable, sustainable, and also realistic,” he said.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, had summoned labour leaders to an emergency meeting after the strike which crippled economic activities on Monday.
At the end of the meeting, it was announced that the Federal Government had offered to pay higher than N60,000 minimum wage.