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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
Adebayo Adelabu, one of the aspirants for the All Progressives Congress (APC) ticket in Oyo State, has alleged irregularities in the party’s governorship primary election held on Thursday.
Adelabu, who expressed dissatisfaction over the conduct of the exercise, stated that the primary was characterized by misconduct ranging from disenfranchisement of his supporters in some wards and the commencement of election process earlier than scheduled.
Speaking after the conclusion of the primary election at IMG School, Ward 9, Ibadan South-East Local Government Area, the immediate past Minister of Power alleged that the process was neither free, fair nor credible.
He said: “Before our people started getting to their various wards, they have already conducted the election and they wrote the figures they want as results.
“In some wards, our people were prevented from voting. They were intimidated. They were chased away violently. And in some wards, voting did not take place at all.
“All this kind of misconduct is not good at this stage of our democracy in Nigeria, and something has to be done about it.”
Adelabu, therefore, vowed to come up with serious petitions against all the irregularities not just in Ibadan, but across all the five geopolitical zones in Oyo State.
“Also, conduct of many party executives is uncalled for, a lot of people bought forms and they were cleared. And they decided to conduct affirmation of a particular candidate in some wards.
“There was nothing like consensus arrangement. It was just a figment of their weird imagination. The instruction we got from Abuja was that we should all carry out free, fair, and transparent direct primary election where every aspirant will be given a level playing ground and the election will be conducted peacefully.
“Where did they get the idea of consensus candidates? And this is what happened in a lot of the wards. And it didn’t go down well with us. “We don’t want that. We are going to assess the gravity of this gross misconduct and the potential impact on the overall result of this election.
“I will put a petition forward to the appropriate authorities so that it can be deeply investigated and there must be consequences to this. The people who perpetrated this misconduct must be identified and punished. And the aspirants involved also need to be suspended because this is not good for us.
“Democracy is the government of the people by the people and for the people where nobody should be disenfranchised. Once you are a party member, you should have that freedom, that authority to pick an aspirant of your choice as the flag bearer of the party.
“This is Ibadan, this is Oyo State and this the centre of politics in the southwest. And we should be able to lay good examples and the process should produce a candidate that won transparently, freely and fairly,” he said.
Meanwhile, at Ward 9, Ibadan South-East Local Government, Adelabu, polled 430 to defeat his closest rival, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, who had 3 votes.
Al Nassr captain, Cristiano Ronaldo, has finally won the Saudi Pro League title.
They were confirmed champions on Thursday, thanks to a 4-2 drubbing of relegation battlers, Damac.
The title race had gone down to the final day after Al-Nassr dramatically dropped points against Al-Hilal the previous week.
Jorge Jesus’ side knew there could be no mistakes against a Damac side fighting for survival at the other end of the table.
Ronaldo was on the scoresheet, as his brace helped Al Nassr secure the title ahead of rivals Al Hilal.
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has announced his withdrawal from the All Progressives Congress governorship primary election in the state.
Fubara made this known in a statement personally signed on Wednesday, saying he would support whoever emerges as the party’s candidate, The Nations reported.
The governor said his decision followed extensive consultations with his family, friends, and political associates.
“After deep reflection and extensive consultations with my family, friends, and associates, I have taken the difficult but necessary decision to withdraw from the APC governorship primaries. I do so with a full heart and with a firm commitment to support whoever emerges as the candidate of our great party,” Fubara said.
Fubara said although the decision was difficult, he remained committed to supporting whoever would emerge as the APC governorship candidate.
According to him, leadership demands sacrifice and personal ambition must sometimes give way to the collective interest of the people.
Meanwhile, the embattled governor expressed appreciation to his supporters for their loyalty, prayers and sacrifices throughout the political process, acknowledging that many would feel disappointed by his withdrawal.
He said his silence in recent weeks was “deliberate and strategic,” adding that it was guided by the higher interest of the state.
Tone Cole, APC chieftain and 2027 governorship aspirant in Rivers State, also announced his withdrawal from the race, saying his decision was, among other reasons, in the interest of the party’s unity.
