Minimum wage strike begins nationwide next week

INDICATIONS have emerged that a nationwide strike by workers to force government at all levels to implement the N18,000 new minimum wage signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan in March, is

set for next week.

This came as labour leaders in the power sector directed Power Holding Company of Nigeria, PHCN, workers to shut down the sector tomorrow for a one-day warning strike over alleged Government insincere approach to power sector problems and unwillingness to effect the agreed payment of 50 per cent salary increase to workers.

Vanguard gathered that the May meeting of the National Executive Council, NEC, of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, gave the leaders of NLC at the state level authority to enter into and conclude negotiations with the state governments within one month on the implementation of the new wage.

According to Congress directives, the state should declare industrial action should their June salaries fail to reflect the new wage increase. In line with the NLC leadership’s directives, Ondo State workers Thursday declared an indefinite strike when the state government said it could only pay N13.000 as against the N18,000.

However, the strike was suspended on Saturday after labour leaders and government agreed on N14,000 pending the outcome of the new revenue allocation formula debate.

Oyo State workers would have commenced their strike but for the intervention of some elders and leaders of Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, in the state.

Governor Adams Oshiohmohle of Edo State has assured the state workers that his government will pay the new wage.
Last Wednesday, the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, NGF, and Rivers State governor, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, who had earlier promised to pay the wage, foreclosed immediate payment of the new wage until there is a new revenue allocation formula.

The governors, who had tied their payment of the new wage to a new revenue allocation formula, added another conditionality which is the removal of subsidy on petrol and money generated from the subsidy removal to be used to fund the N18,000 wage increase.

Investigations revealed unless there is contrary directives from the leaders of NLC who will hold a retreat in Tinapa, Cross Rivers State, between today and tomorrow the nation is set to witness a harvest of industrial unrest over the N18.000 new minimum wage.

Confirming the development, a Vice President of NLC and General Secretary of the National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, Comrade Issa Aremu, said the NEC actually directed state councils to negotiate and conclude implementation guideline with their government within a month.

Comrade Aremu vowed that workers will engage the unwilling governors to submission who prefer to waste state resources on frivolities instead of the welfare of the people, because they were part of the process that gave rise to the new wage.

While reacting to the latest antics by unwilling state governors in a statement, titled “NO” TO POILCY DICTATORSHIP BY GOVERNORS”, the NUTGTWN’s General Secretary said: “The call by the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) for immediate removal of so-called subsidy on petroleum products as another belated precondition for the implementation of the legally permissible Minimum Wage Act has sadly taken us back to the discredited era of immediate policy dictatorship of the military.

This policy dictatorship by the governors is undemocratic, unacceptable and condemnable. The governors under the aegis of NGF should face up to the challenge of governance which the new Minimum wage poses in their respective states instead of arm_twisting a newly elected President to pursue unpopular policies capable of promoting instant mass disaffection. Nigeria is operating a Presidential/Federal system of government.

The Governors who are demanding for true Federalism should stop ganging up in Abuja pushing for top_down unitarist self serving policies. They are active to reportedly dictating ministerial list to the President. To read that the governors are dictating immediate removal of subsidy on petroleum products to the President is one dictatorship too intolerable. Nigerians only hear the voices of few governors about the plight of their citizens with respect to scandalous shortages of basic products like kerosene.”

“NGF has not commented on mass leakages of public funds through self enrichment in the national assembly (now subject of EFCC trials). The N680 billion allegedly on fuel subsidies is certainly nothing compared to N1.3 trillion spent on few political office holders as ‘remuneration’.

What is the position of the governors on these mass leakages of public funds by political office holders? It is sad that the governors have become hyper active in an attempt to undermine the implementation of minimum wage. Governors must stop giving excuses and simply put necessary measures in place to implement the Minimum wage Act in their respective states to avoid unnecessary industrial mass crisis. It was triple problems of dictatorship, mass unemployment and poor wages that led to mass revolts in Tunisia and Egypt recently.

Happily Nigeria practices democracy (with all the challenges associated with recent elections). We also have a vibrant system of collective bargaining (as a member of ILO) which has produced the recent minimum wage. The unilateral posturing of the Governors through unhelpful and unthinking policy dictatorship amounts to arrogance and intensity that may push Nigeria into North African option we have long not found attractive.”

“The governors should be on duty and device creative means of growing the economy of their respective states rather than relying on monthly oil revenue that is clearly unsustainable regardless of arbitrarily determination of the sharing formula. They must also engage their respective workforce to respect labour market laws such as minimum wage instead of pushing for ill thought out polices from Abuja.

Nigeria needs production (not sharing) formulae the bedrock of which is well paid motivated working men and women with good minimum pay. We remind President Goodluck Jonathan that there is a subsisting agreement between Labour and Federal government on petroleum pricing after mass strikes of 2007 under the leadership of late President Yar Adua. Governors dare not stampede President Goodluck to undermine subsisting national agreement and consensus.

Petroleum products are indispensable products to Nigeria ’s industrial recovery and cannot be left to ambiguous policy of deregulation.  The sector calls for bold and engaging good governance and not unhelpful policy dogma of deregulation. Nigeria is still rich when compared to other non_oil producing countries in the continent. Many non_oil producing nations parade functioning refineries, public owned as well as privately owned, why not the 6th producer of the product in the world?”
Power sector to be shut tomorrow

Meanwhile, the entire nation may be thrown into total darkness tomorrow as workers in power sector have resolved to down tools and shut down the electricity industry for a day warning strike over alleged Government insincere approach to Power Sector and unwillingness to effect the agreed payment of 50% salary increase.

The aggrieved workers are also protesting plans by President Goodluck Jonathan to appoint Professor Barth Nnaji, Minister or given any position in the Electricity Sector in spite of alleged stakeholders’ petition against him of having interest that conflicts with the yearnings of Nigerians in resolving the Power crisis.

The workers under the umbrella of National Union of Electricity Employees, NUEE, in a statement by Comrade REUBEN PETER ORLU, Head of Information and Research, on behalf of General Secretary, said “Sequel to Government’s lack of interest in the welfare of members of staff of PHCN and fixation of the Power Sector Challenges, it becomes imperative therefore to express our displeasure on the level of insensitivity being expressed by the Nigerian state.

Accordingly, Tuesday, June 28, 2011 has been declared a ‘Work To Rule” day to enforce the Prayer Session already declared in PHCN in order to drive home the issues of Government insincere approach to Power Sector and unwillingness to effect the agreed payment of 50% salary increase which is being feared to have been tinkered with. Besides, it is sordid for Government not to consider the position of the workers who are major stakeholders in the Power Project.

Professor Barth Nnaji, whose individual negative interest conflicts with the yearnings of Nigerians in resolving the Power crisis must not be appointed a Minister or be given any responsible position in the Electricity Sector. It should be noted that Aba Power Ltd and Geometrics Ltd are owned by Professor Barth Nnaji and have been granted licenses to Generate, Transmit and Distribute Electricity for over six (6) years. But till date these companies have not been able to generate a Unit of Electricity.”

“During his tenure as Adviser to the President on Power, he did practically nothing to improve on the Power situation except scheming to buy over PHCN. As Adviser to the President on Power, he had irreconcilable difference with the workers and earned the unenviable mark of recording the highest number of industrial crisis in the Power Sector which never obtained before his appointment.

Government should realize the need not to appoint Professor Barth Nnaji to this critical sector if the confidence, commitment and support of the workers are veritable ingredients for sustainable development and growth of electricity in Nigeria. All members of staff are hereby directed to observe this programme as a warning signal to the main action if he is eventually appointed against wise counsel. This is the beginning of the struggle.

Meanwhile, the workers are today observing prayers session throughout the country as a prelude to tomorrow’s action.”
In a circular to the workers detailing the prayer points, General Secretary of NUEE, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said “The economic hawks have not reneged in the selfish bid to sell off our patrimony to their proxies.  They are presently jostling for positions which will put them at a vantage position for the manifestation of their evil plans. You will recall that close to the end of June, the fifty percent (50%) salary increase agreed upon after the negotiation with the Hassan Sumonu Committee is either not being implemented or is being tinkered with.

Consequently, we cannot but supplicate to God to destroy all their evil plans including their armoury.   Monday, June 27, 2011 is hereby set aside for general prayer to be observed by all members of staff in the various work locations. The under_listed prayer points among others should be considered for the prayer session.”-Nigeria newspaper