Following the inability of the Federal Government to urgently
transmit the bill on the new national minimum wage to the National
Assembly, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has set January 8th as the
date for the commencement of an indefinite nationwide strike.
NLC President Comrade Ayuba Wabba said the strike would be inevitable
if nothing happened before the set date. He appealed to workers across
the nation to support the action to succeed in the interest of their
social and economic prosperity.
Wabba called on Federal Government to urgently transmit the bill on
the new national minimum wage to the National Assembly for a speedy
passage.
He said: “It is unfortunate that the Federal Government is yet to
transmit to the National Assembly an executive bill for the enactment of
N30,000 as the new national minimum wage. Government’s dilly-dallying
on the issue has strained Government-Labour relations with a potential
for a major national strike which could just be days away.I want to appeal to the government to do the needful by urgently
transmitting the bill on the new national minimum wage to the National
Assembly. We also would like to use this same opportunity to urge
workers to fully mobilise for a prolonged national strike and enforce
their right.”
He added that the NLC leadership is similarly committed to social protection for workers.
“The new year presents great opportunities for workers, pensioners,
civil society allies and their friends and families to put their numbers
to good use. This is by voting out, not on the basis of tribe or
religion but purely policy, any candidate that cannot serve their
interest.In the year that is ahead of us, the NLC remains unequivocally
committed to the national and workers’ goals which include the campaign
for industrialisation, against selective enforcement of “No Work, No
Pay” policy of government, among others,” he said.