2016, most difficult for workers, Nigerians in 30 yrs — NLC, TUC, NUTGTWN

THE NIGERIA Labour Congress, NLC, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, and National Union of Textile Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, yesterday, said that 2016 was the toughest and most difficult for Nigerians, especially workers in the last 30 years. In a new message to workers and other Nigerians, the trio demanded good leadership from the Federal Government instead of the blame game, insisting that the new National Minimum Wage, NMW, was a must to avoid nationwide industrial unrest and for workers to cope with the high cost of living. NLC in a message by its President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, lamented that 2017 was perhaps the toughest and most difficult for workers, pensioners and the generality of the poor and working people of the country in almost three decades. “The astronomical increase in the pump price of petroleum products, the massive and continuing devaluation of the Naira, the rise in inflation and the 43 percent increase in electricity tariff in February 2016, all combined to make life difficult for the wage earners and worse for the teeming millions of our people without any means of livelihood,” Wabba stated. Contending that in the last 12 months, the living standard of majority of Nigerians had taken a terrible beating, Wabba lamented that the projections and forecasts for the economy in the New Year were equally not very optimistic. The NLC president, who recalled congress’ struggles in 2016, such as the strike against fuel price increase, unpaid salaries and pensions/retrenchments in the public sector, corruption, crisis of unemployment, harped on the urgent need for a new minimum wage. TUC in its message by its President and Secretary, Mr. Bobboi Kaigama and Musa Lawal, also noted that government must put all measures in place to achieve a new minimum wage in the interest of industrial peace. TUC argued that the issue of no money for a new minimum wage was not tenable, saying “In light of the prevailing realities and how it has affected workers take home, we call for an upward review of the wages for workers. The devaluation of the naira and other unfriendly economic measures are taking a toll on the workers and Nigerians generally. “The usual excuse of no money because of the activities of the Niger Delta militants and fall in the price of oil does not subsist here. Our suggestion is: see to the demands of the Niger Delta militants, pass the petroleum Industry Bill, PIB, into law, diversify the economy, reduce cost of running government, jail looters of our treasury and there will be money to do much more than Nigerians are yearning for. We hope governments at all levels listen to the voice of reason.” Similarly, NUTGTWN in a message by John Adaji and Issa Aremu, President and General Secretary of union, among others, called for the urgent review of the national minimum wage. According to the union, “The Federal Government should immediately constitute the Tripartite Committee for the review of the national minimum wage. The point cannot be overstated. The only way to reflate the economy is to increase the wages of workers. “Our experience shows that through dialogue and collective bargaining, a new national minimum wage in Nigeria is possible.”