Headlines
Looming Strike: FG, Labour Hold Decisive Meeting Today over Minimum Wage
The Federal Government and oragnised labour will today meet to discuss consequential increase in the salaries of workers as a result of the new minimum wage of N30,000.
The meeting is coming after another meeting on Monday where labour submitted its preferred percentage on the consequential increase in workers’ salaries as a result of the new minimum wage of N30,000.
Today’s (Tuesday) meeting was a response to labour’s threat of indefinite strike if government refused to accept its demands on or before the close of work on October 16, 2019.
A source at the Ministry of Labour and Employment told our correspondent that apart from the minister, Dr Chris Ngige, who would chair the meeting, the Federal Government team would comprise of the Minister of Finance, Budget and Planning, Hajia Zainab Ahmed; Minister of State, Finance, Budget and Planning, Clement Agba; Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN); Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr Folashade Yemi- Esan; Director General, Budget Office of the Federation, Ben Akabueze; Acting Chairman, National Salaries Income and Wages Commission, Ekpo Nta; and the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris.
Labour will be represented at the meeting by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, headed by its acting chairman, Achaver Simon, and secretary of the union, Alade Lawal.
The minister of labour had also extended invitation to leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress.
Labour is demanding 29 per cent salary increase for officers at salary levels 07 to 14 and 24 per cent adjustment for officers at salary grade levels 15 to 17 while the Federal Government had presented to labour a proposal of 11 per cent salary increase for officers at grade levels 07 to14 and 6.5 per cent adjustment for workers at grade levels 15 to 17.
In preparation for the strike, labour on Friday, October 11, 2019 sent a letter to all the state councils, telling them to prepare for the industrial action.
On its part, the Federal Government had been making moves to stop the strike with two impromptu meetings with leaders of the labour unions.
The Monday meeting was preparatory to today’s (Tuesday) meeting before labour will take a decision on whether to proceed on indefinite strike or not.
Already, the Nigeria Labour Congress had sent letters to chairmen and secretaries of its affiliate councils in all states, ordering them to begin coordination of members ahead of possible industrial action.
Among the labour leaders at the Monday meeting were deputy president of the NLC, Amechi Asugwuni; its secretary-general, Emma Ugboaja; Secretary general of the Trade Union Congress, Musa-Lawal Ozigi; Secretary of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, Alade Lawal; Ibrahim Khaleel of NLC; Nuhu Toro (TUC); and Musa Abbas (TUC).
Ngige had said before the meeting began that it was important to soften the ground before the major meeting on Tuesday (today), stressing that part of his job as a minister in the ministry was to ensure industrial peace.
He said, “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 pro-active measure. Part of my work is to ensure that there is a quiet industrial milieu.
“On Tuesday, we are going to do the mix grill meeting. That mix grill meeting 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.”
Speaking on behalf of organised labour after the meeting, Asugwuni said labour was prepared to go ahead and embark on strike if the outcome of the Tuesday meeting did not satisfy its demand, stressing that mobilisation of members for the strike was still going on.
He said, “The meeting was a consultative one. The meeting took into consideration the essential issues about the minimum wage that is still pending. With the consultation, we were able to share information with the Minister of Labour and Employment in order to ensure the success of tomorrow’s (today) meeting.
“We believe that the Federal Government will do the needful because ours is a straightforward proposal. We have made our proposal to the Federal Government before now and government is to respond. We believe that by tomorrow, we will get the feedback and know the next thing to do.”
The labour leader said the Monday meeting afforded Ngige the opportunity to know ahead all the facts about what labour had demanded as consequential increase for workers. He noted that labour would not accept anything lower than its demand and ready to take any step to drive home its demands.
“The Federal Government will also meet after this meeting ahead of Tuesday’s meeting which will give birth to what will happen on Tuesday. But labour is prepared to take any step in driving our demand home.
Asugwuni wondered why the Federal Government had found it difficult to compensate workers legitimately after offering their services to the nation.
The Punch
The first hostages freed from Gaza under a long-awaited ceasefire agreement are back in Israel. The news sparked jubilant scenes in Tel Aviv where large crowds gathered ahead of their release.
The three freed Israeli hostages – the first of 33 to be released over the next six weeks – are Romi Gonen, Doron Steinbrecher and Emily Damari. They are said to be in good health and are receiving treatment at a medical center in Tel Aviv.
In exchange, 90 Palestinian prisoners and detainees are set to be released by Israel from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli military withdrew from several locations in southern and northern Gaza after the truce began earlier on Sunday, an Israeli military official told CNN.
Displaced Gazans have started returning to their homes, while the aid trucks laden with much-needed supplies have crossed into Gaza. Here’s what we know about how the ceasefire deal will work.
Hamas, despite suffering devastating losses, is framing the Gaza ceasefire agreement as a victory for itself, and a failure for Israel.
One of Hamas’ main goals for taking some 250 people during its brazen October 7, 2023, attack on Israel was to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails. As Israel pounded Gaza in response, Hamas vowed not to return the hostages until Israel withdrew its forces from the enclave, permanently ended the war, and allowed for rebuilding.
Source: CNN
The leader of UK’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, has said she doesn’t want Britain to be like Nigeria that is plagued by “terrible governments.”
Speaking on Thursday at an event organised by Onward, a British think tank producing research on economic and social issues, Badenoch expressed fears that Britain may become like Nigeria if the system is not reformed.
“And why does this matter so much to me? It’s because I know what it is like to have something and then to lose it,” Badenoch told the audience.
“I don’t want Britain to lose what it has.
“I grew up in a poor country and watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer, despite working harder and harder as their money disappeared with inflation.
“I came back to the UK aged 16 with my father’s last £100 in the hope of a better life.
“So I have lived with the consequences of terrible governments that destroy lives, and I never, ever want it to happen here.”
Badenoch has been in the news of late after she dissociated herself from Nigeria, saying she has nothing to do with the Islamic northern region.
She also accused the Nigeria Police of robbing citizens instead of protecting them.
She said: “My experience with the Nigeria Police was very negative. Coming to the UK, my experience with the British Police was very positive.
“The police in Nigeria will rob us (laughter). When people say I have this bad experience with the police because I’m black, I say well…I remember the police stole my brother’s shoe and his watch.”
