Minimum wage: There’ll be no warning strike, Labour tells govt

The President of Trade Union Congress, Quadri Olaleye, said
organised labour would not go on a warning strike before the main
industrial action, if government failed to meet workers’ demand on
the implementation of the new minimum wage by the close of work on
Wednesday, October 16, 2019.

In a communiqué issued at the end of a meeting of leaders of
labour unions on Tuesday in Abuja, organised labour had said it
would not guarantee industrial peace in Nigeria, if the Federal
Government failed to hold a meeting with labour and accept its
demand on the consequential salary adjustment arising from the new
minimum wage.

Labour said it had demonstrated a great deal of restraint,
consideration and patience with government in arriving at the
demand of 29 per cent salary increase for officers on salary levels
07 to 14 and 24 per cent adjustment for officers on salary grade
levels 15 to 17.

The communiqué said the alleged nonchalant attitude of the
government negotiating side had dragged negotiations for
consequential wages adjustment unduly, adding that Nigerian workers
had exercised tremendous patience and restraint already.

In an interview with our correspondent on Friday, the TUC
president said already, labour had begun to mobilise its members
for industrial action before the Tuesday ultimatum issued to
government.

He said, “We had already begun mobilisation of our members for
an industrial action long before we made the pronouncement. We have
given instructions on mobilisation to our members in the states and
all council areas.

“If by October 16, government fails to do what we expect from
it, we will start our action with a rally. On the second day
(October 17), the strike will begin.

“We are not going to give any warning strike this time round. We
have threatened to go on strike on many occasions. The public can
attest to this through media publication and letters to
government.”

Govt yet to contact us – JNPSNC

Meanwhile, Secretary of the Joint National Public Service
Negotiating Council, Alade Lawal, said despite the ultimatum
issued, government had yet to contact labour on a date for a
meeting.

He also berated government for taking too long to constitute a
new team that would begin another round of negotiation with labour
on the new minimum wage.

Lawal said, “If they want to constitute a new team, must that
take a year? It takes less than a day to do that since supposed
members are members of the government cabinet. As far as we are
concerned, government has not reached out to us.”

Doctors will not strike –NMA

However, President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Festus
Faduyile, has ruled out the possibility of doctors joining the
strike. In an exclusive interview with our correspondent on Friday,
Faduyile said the NMA sympathised with Nigerian workers on the
failure of government to fully implement the new wage structure,
but added that doctors would continue to cater for patients in
various government hospitals across the country.

“It is not likely that we will go on strike but that does not
mean that we do not stand with the organised labour on this
matter.”

Our books on income, expenditure open, FG tells
labour

The Federal Government has called on organised labour to send
its representatives to look into income and expenditure books.

It said this became important because of the plan of labour to
go on strike.

Minister of Labour and Productivity, Sen Chris Ngige, who spoke
with one of our correspondents through its Special Adviser on
Media, Mr Nwachukwu Obidiwe, said he had always taken the labour
into confidence in all decisions taken on the issue of minimum
wage.

He said with the situation of economy, everyone must be ready to
make sacrifice.

He said, ‘‘The FG has promised to open its books to labour to
come and look at its income and expenditure. They are free to send
representatives to carry out the task. This time calls for
sacrifice. Every step the minister has taken so far has been in the
interest of the nation.’’