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.’’
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