New Minimum wage: Most State Labour Congress leaders are members of the ruling parties in the States. So it’s difficult for them to fight for the Welfare of their members
**Governors will claim they don’t have money to pay as fg ready to shift grounds on new minimum wage increase
It is not enough to celebrate that the Federal Government has agreed to up the minimum wage from their initial stand of N60, 000.00 per month. What’s more important is whether the States would be ready to pay whatever amount agreed upon at the end of the negotiations.
I am aware that when the minimum wage was increased to N35, 000.00 ninety per cent of the States refused to pay same amount. They claimed that they don’t have the money to pay. And no State Labour Congress went on strike.
I know that all these fights is just aimed at destabilizing the Tinubu government. But all is well.
I don’t want any one to get me wrong. The economic situation today is nothing to write home about. And I am in support of a Living Wage for our workers but the fact remains that it is only workers in the Federal payroll that would mostly enjoy this increments as the States will not do anything substantial for their own workers. Yet, the Nigerian Labour Congress and all other Associated Unions will keep quiet at the end of the day. Is it only the Federal workers and or government workers who are supposed to gain from the wage increase?
Today, our children who were supposed to write their examinations are bearing the brunt of the struggle between two elephants. Yet, they’ll gain nothing from th struggle as many of their parents work in the private sector or are farmers. They go to the same markets as the government workers whom they have suffered to make smile.
Strikes are a veritable tools to force the government to heed to the demands of the people but they should not be abused. Strikes should be used when absolutely necessary like this situation now. But they should also have human face.
I want to appeal to all the states to also implement whatever the Federal Government would be approving for workers from the negotiation table. This call is necessary because our state workers are crying but their Labour unions are not willing to stand up for them. Most State Labour Congress leaders are members of the ruling parties in the States. So it’s difficult for them to fight for the Welfare of their members.
My appeal to the Federal government is to shift ground now and actually pay our workers a Living Wage and not this peanuts they pay today.
By: Bezi Ighotegwolor
Writes in from Warri Delta State
Nigeria.
