Minimum Wage: Buhari Govt, Labour In Final Push Over Strike

The Federal Government and labour unions are
engaged in a last-minute dialogue, to avert a
nationwide strike by workers, slated on Oct. 16.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that
labour has resorted to the strike option,
following an apparent inability of government
and labour to find a way out of the minimum
wage logjam.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday at the
continuation of a conciliatory meeting, the
Chief Arbiter and Minister of Labour and
Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, said the meeting
was an opportunity for information sharing and
an avenue to soften ground for a final meeting,
slated for Oct. 15.
He told the labour leaders to be open-minded
in their dialogue so that both parties could get
a way out of the minimum wage logjam.
Ngige said he believed that the meeting would
bring an end to issues in contention, if both
parties agreed and understood each other’s
positions.
“If we don’t soften the ground bullets will fly
and at the end of the day we will come back to
the negotiating table. That is why we are doing
this as a proactive measure.
“Part of my work is to ensure that there is a
quiet industrial milieu. The workforce brings
out their full productivity and employers,
businesses will not be disrupted. That is why
we called you again.
“Tomorrow, we are going to do the mix grill
meeting. That mix grill meeting tomorrow can
be one hour meeting, it can be two hours or it
can be 12 hours, depending on what we are
able to achieve today.
“I appeal to everybody to show some
understanding.
“We are going to discuss dispassionately.
Nothing will be hidden from anybody. The
books of government, I talked about it before–
when I mean books they are budgets–
2019/2020, we will make it bare.
“I have warned them and I have advised them
that if they come they should be prepared to
present their case, meaningfully and
successfully.
“I will stay in the middle as an arbiter because
that is what I am going to do in this instance.”
Also speaking, the Deputy President of the
Nigerian Labour Congress, Mr Amaechi
Asugwuni, who spoke on behalf of organised
labour, said that the meeting was called by the
minister to share information with labour
leaders.
He said that labour had made considerable
shift on its demands from the earlier position
on the consequential adjustment of the N30,
000 minimum wage.
“We all know the consequences of delay is
never fruitful and as such organised labour has
come here with an open mind in ensuring that
facts are facts, also the situations are already
known to us.
“The economy is biting and as a matter of fact,
we must assist the process at this time in
ensuring that we close it earlier than needed
so that we can avert the unforeseen.
“It is only when you don’t know where you are
going that you will waste a lot of time doing
nothing.
“The position of labour is very clear. It gives us
the signpost of what we have asked for and
where we are going. So every delay, every
action taken is toward that position and we
know that you will do your best to get there.
“We believe that the Federal Government will
do the needful because ours is a straight
forward proposal.
“We have made our proposal to the FG before
now and government is to respond. We believe
that by tomorrow, we will get the FG’s
feedback and know the next thing to do.
“Labour will not tolerate anything short of
reasonable adjustment in the ongoing
negotiations.
“The consequential adjustment is a matter of
percentage which requires give and take
principle. You state what you want but it
depends on government to see sense in your
demand.
“Labour has shifted beyond expectation. What
government needs to do is to reciprocate by
doing what is needful to appreciate the
workers.
“We are talking about compensation, salary and
legitimate compensation for work done.
Inasmuch as we believe in the consequential
adjustment, it has to be reasonable, otherwise,
people will feel neglected.
“Tuesday’s meeting is the benchmark for
labour’s action but mobilisation continues. The
meeting will tell us the way forward because
anything can happen.”
On the mobilisation for strike, Asugwuni said
that the meeting on Oct. 15 would determine
everything, noting that mobilisation was on top
gear “for an industrial action from 17th
October, 2019”.
NAN recalls that labour leaders are demanding
29 per cent salary increase for workers on
salary grade level 07 to 14 and 24 per cent
adjustment for officers on salary grade level 15
to 17.
But the Federal Government had presented a
proposal of 11 per cent salary increase for
officers on grade level 07 to14 and 6.5 per
cent adjustment for workers on grade level 15
to 17. (Daily post)