SherifFor NLC latest news on strike update for Minimum wage 2019 tussle with the federal government of Nigeria. Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) going on strike at the early stage of this new year would be a major blow as it would ruin a lot of activities in the country. Many Nigerians are wondering must it get to the point of protest or strike before the Nigerian government takes serious issues that concern national parastatals. Strike is not a good In view of the nationwide strike because of the Federal Government’s refusal to send a draft bill on N30,000 as the new National Minimum Wage to the National Assembly to legislate and pass into law, organized labor and its civil society counterpart are, getting ready to hold a nationwide mobilization and mass protest or strike as it is called to force the federal government into action. It is in this vein which is the inability of the Federal Government to urgently convey the bill on the new national minimum wage to the National Assembly, we’ll be writing in this article giving an update about the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Strike Update and All you need to know.
NLC Latest News On NLC Strike UpdateNLC STRIKE UPDATE 2019 – {NLC LATEST NEWS} ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
The federal government in a bid to avert the planned nationwide industrial action or strike, has set up a delegation that is currently in a meeting with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other Labour unions to settle whatever grievances they have and come to a probable and positive agreement that will send both parties smiling home.
Chris Ngige(Minister of Labour and Employment)is the front man that led the Federal Government delegation to meet with the NLC leadership. The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Budget and National Planning, Senator Udo Udoma are all part of the team that comprises the Federal Government delegation.
The meeting which is currently holding at the nation’s capital in Abuja is aimed at addressing various issues or grievances including and especially the new national minimum wage proposed by the union which is the major bone of contention and the pioneering issue gearing the union to push for a nationwide strike.
The leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress are adamantly insisting that the executive must transmit and convey the new minimum wage structure as agreed between them and the presidential tripartite committee, to the National Assembly or risk the resumption of the strike it had suspended earlier.
During the presentation of the 2019 budget to the National Assembly last month, President Muhammadu Buhari had announced that a high-powered technical committee would be set up to overlook and review the resolution of the tripartite committee on the minimum wage.
But the NLC had vowed not to be involved and be a part of the planned review by the high-powered technical committee as announced by the president. The union is hell-bent and insisted that all discussions as far as the new minimum wage is concerned has ended as the labor union has already taken a final stand on the issue.
Though the set day for the commencement of the nationwide strike is yet to be announced, labor had said on December 20, 2018, while giving December 31, 2018, as deadline to the government over the issue, “Organised Labour will not guarantee the government that there will be industrial peace and harmony if, after the 31st of December 2018, the draft bill for the new minimum wage is not conveyed to the National Assembly for legislate and pass into law. More so, ‘’This serves as a statutory notice for Organised Labour to recall the suspended industrial action nationwide.”
Organized labor still reiterating the threat that a nationwide strike could commence at any time and any moment without further notice if nothing is done concerning the transmission of the new minimum wage bill. Joe Ajaero who is the President of United Labour Congress of Nigeria (ULC), said though there is no specific date yet fixed for the commencement of the strike, which could start any moment, it can even start the next day after the national protest. He emphasized that ‘’the strike can start today, it can start at any time. We both (Labour and government)agreed during our meeting (of leaders of organised labour) on December 20, 2018, in Lagos state that the December 31 which is the last day in 2018is the deadline given to government to transmit a draft bill to the National Assembly to legislate on the N30,000 minimum wage recommendation by the Tripartite Committee, and it will serve as a final notice to the government for us to resume the suspended November 6, 2018, nationwide strike. ‘’What that means is that a nationwide strike can start today, tomorrow or next without further notice or forewarning the government.” Speaking concerning today’s protest, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, said, theGeneral Secretary of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, yesterday said, that NLC’s 36 state councils, affiliated unions and other friendly groups, such as civil society organizations (CSOs), have all been mobilized for the nationwide mass protest. Ozo-Esan in a statement, said that “Tomorrow (Tuesday) is a day of protest and mass mobilization,” read: “It has come to our notice that a section of the news media has greatly misrepresented our intention and action plan in reaction to the delay in conveying the recommendations of the Tripartite Committee concerning the new National Minimum Wage to the National Assembly by President Mohammadu Buhari.“On Tuesday, January 8, 2019, we immediately announced then that there will be a nationwide mass mobilization and protests same time across all 36 states in Nigeria. This in no way translates to a strike. It is a known fact and it’s on record that each time we had cause to embark on a national strike, we publicly say so without any equivocation. ‘’When a date is decided and set for the commencement of a nationwide strike subsequently, we will inform the public appropriately through the media.”
The N30,000 New minimum wage to be paid per month is no longer negotiable. In a similar note, Joint Action Front (JAF), while declaring their members support for today’s protest, insisted that the N30,000 minimum wage, as recommended and submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage, was no longer negotiable but has to be implemented. The national chairman and Secretary in a joint statement, both Abiodun Aremu and Dr. Dipo Fashina, JAF said: “ The Joint Action Front, JAF, declares its total support for the nationwide mass mobilization and mass protests being organized by organized labor in furtherance of the struggle to ensure the actualization of the of N30,000 as the new Minimum Wage, which was agreed and endorsed by all parties that came together and were involved in the Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee.
Still on the matter of the pending strike and ongoing protest, “JAF, hereby, encourage its allies, affiliates and other pro-Labour civil society organisations to mobilise their members across the country to join hands with organised labour in their respective locations on January 8 to sensitive the Nigerian populace especially workers on the necessity of a general strike to enforce the Minimum Wage against the anti-poor stand of governors, employers and Buhari’s government.”
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Conclusion on NLC Strike Update 2019 – NLC Latest News – All U Need To Know
In conclusion on the NLC Strike Update and NLC latest news including All You Need to know, we’ll end on this note as stated by AyubaWabbathe president of NLC, he called on Federal Government to as a matter of urgency transmit the bill on N30,000which is the new national minimum wage to the National Assembly for a speedy passage into law. I a sad note he further said, “It is sad and unfortunate that the Federal Government is yet to do the needful by transmitting to the National Assembly the bill for the enactment of N30,000 as the new national minimum wage.
“The dilly-dally of Government on the issue has strained and its relapsing the Government-Labour relations with a potential for a major national strike which could just be days away if nothing is done. He also appeals to the government to do the needful by urgently transmitting the bill on the new national minimum wage to the National Assembly so as to avert any strike from happening.
The federal government should ensure they come to a consensus with organizing labor and its allies and another affiliate. Truth be told strike is not good for this country at this moment and wouldn’t be a good note to start with this at the early stage of a new year. Though there is no strike at the moment as it is suspended and the leader of Labour is in talks with the government to send the bill for the house of assembly to legislate. I just hope they come to terms because NLC is still threatening to resume the suspended strike if the government refused to comply.
Tag: NLC Strike Update 2019 – All U Need To Know