Wage Deregulation: Labour Threatens Nationwide Strike, Begins Mobilization Monday

   

Organized Labour has threatened a nationwide strike over the decision of the National Assembly to remove wage and other labour issues from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List.

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC),  in separate statements yesterday warned that the decision  would be resisted by the Nigerian workers.

NLC  General Secretary, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, said an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC) has been scheduled for Monday to mobilize workers:

“We wish to state in no uncertain terms that the Congress will mobilize its members to resist this move to scrap the national minimum wage. We appeal to the Nigerian people to show understanding in the event of fall-outs from our proposed action.”

NLC said it suspended its national campaign and mobilization on the same subject matter at the instance of the leadership of the Senate which promised to revisit the issue having then being “better informed.”

The TUC in its own statement in Abuja by its president, Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, said it was an attempt by the federal lawmakers to further impoverish Nigerian workers by outlawing the meagre National Minimum Wage through the backdoor:

“We call on the trade union movements, the civil society groups, religious leaders, royal fathers, and other well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the National Assembly to reverse its decision to deregulate wages in order to avert the mother of all strike that will be embarked upon by labour to press home its demands.”