Minimum Wage: Jonathan, NLC Meet Tomorrow

In a bid to avert a showdown with Nigerian workers over delay in giving his assent to the N18,000 national minimum wage bill the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has scheduled a meeting for Tuesday. This is with view to bringing to an end the prolonged minimum wage issue.However, ahead of tomorrow’s meeting with the president, the NLC has summoned its Central Working Committee (CWC) for a meeting today to take a final decision on how to get President Jonathan to assent the new wage bill.

LEADERSHIP gathered that labour has vowed not to take any chances on the issue of the new wage because it appeared President Jonathan was playing politics with the workers’ right.

Speaking with our reporter on telephone yesterday, NLC national president, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar said that the CWC, after today’s meeting, would proceed to another meeting with the president.

Omar stressed that “we don’t want to take any chances on this matter. We don’t want this to get to the elections because Nigerian workers may proceed on indefinite strike even during the general election.”

CWC comprises all the presidents, general secretaries and treasurers of all industrial unions affiliated to the NLC.

Omar continued: “But the most important message we must send across is the fact that, in line with the pursuit of the mandate given to us by the delegates’ conference, the National Administrative Council (NAC) has decided to fix a meeting of the Central Working Committee for today.

“That is where we will carry out a critical analysis of the journey so far and a final decision will be taken regarding the national minimum wage.

“We are aware of the disposition of Mr. President because he has pledged time without number that he was ready to sign the bill into law. I will recall his letter to the National Assembly urging it to give the bill an accelerated passage. And on his part, he said that he would be ready to sign it into law.

“Now that the only thing that remains is for Mr. President to sign it into law, I do hope he will fulfil his pledge to the Nigerian workers by signing the bill into law. “The only thing we are waiting for is for Mr. President to sign the bill into law. We will be able to assess the situation when the CWC meets and we will take a final decision.”

“The issue of national minimum wage is no longer a new thing in Nigeria. It is a struggle that we commenced way back in 2008 and, so far, we have cleared so many hurdles. It is my position on behalf of my colleagues to tell you that we are about to clear the last hurdle.

“The issue of national minimum wage has been pursued with every vigour by Nigerian workers especially the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress and also the leadership of the TUC.

“We are now reliably informed that the bill has actually been forwarded to the executive arm of government; therefore, the expectation is that Mr. President will sign the bill any moment and this is the expectation of Nigerian workers.”

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