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Minimum Wage: Labour Threatens Defaulting Governors

By on October 15, 2012

 

Labour has advised Governors who are yet to implement the new national minimum wage of N18, 000 to do so or face the consequences.

 

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Deputy President Comrade Promise Adewusi said labour is talking to non-compliant states silently but if they refuse, the Congress will to take another dimension, which he promised will be far-reaching.

 

Comrade Adewusi condemned the refusal of some Governors to implement the new national minimum wage after two years, since the National Minimum Wage Act was established.

 

He said, “It is unfortunate that we can still be talking about the implementation of a mere N18, 000 minimum wages almost two years after it became law. It shows the kalo kalo mentality of some of those who claim to govern us, when they spend more than five times  that amount to feed their dogs monthly. They claim that the states are not equally endowed. However, when it comes to the payment of governors’ or legislators’ salaries or the craze for acquiring private jets, there is no disparity.”

 

“We have been engaging such states quietly to make them see reason unfortunately, the public will not see that now. It is only when there is a shut down that people will blame labour. Rather than face the purpose for which they claim they were elected, some of these unpatriotic governors are busy campaigning for transferring minimum wage issues from the exclusive to the concurrent legislative list to allow them the warped discretion of paying N3, 000 as minimum wage and return the worker to second slavery. They neglect the fact that in all countries that have ratified the ILO Convention, it applies nationally and across board as a wage below which no worker can be expected to live a decent life under the ILO decent work agenda.”

 

Adewusi also advised the leaders to put in place a system that could justifiably restructure the nation’s commonwealth, towards closing the gap between the rich and the poor, adding that governance should to be about the wellbeing and security of the governed.

 

“But in our own circumstance, it has become a programme for the emasculation of the governed (to which workers belong) by the governing class to massage the greed of this insensitive ruling class. It is the insatiable greed of the ruling class that continues to widen the gulf between the political class and the workers, including other ordinary Nigerians. Rather than put in place mechanism that can more equitably redistribute our commonwealth, the political class prefer to impoverish and enslave the people. The only way to halt this tragedy, hold the political class accountable and make life more meaningful for the toiling masses is to make Chapter two of our constitution, the ‘fundamental objectives and directive principles of state policy’ justice-able and therefore enforceable. This can be achieved by simply deleting section 6 (6) (c) of the 1999 constitution as amended, particularly now they claim to be amending the constitution.”

 

“By the time the politicians know that they will be paying through the nose for not abiding by the tenets of that chapter, they will sit up. Otherwise, holding the ruling class accountable will remain an illusion to be pursued, but may never be attained. Chapter two of our constitution has eloquently made the provision of such facilities the cardinal purpose of governance. But because this constitution is not of the people and like the devil, what this military-induced constitution has given with the right hand in chapter two, it takes away with the left hand through section 6 (6) (c). So delete that evil section and make chapter two justice-able, improve the independence of the judiciary and things will begin to fall in place. In the ongoing attempt to amend the 1999 constitution yet again without going through making a fresh constitution, the least that will be expected is the subjection of any legislative intervention to a national referendum to give it a semblance of legitimacy and validity deriving from the people.”

 

He blamed the government for continued loss of jobs in the country, further faulting government policies on the high rate of unemployment in the country, he said, for instance,   the textile industry could provide thousands of jobs for Nigerians but could not because of bad government policies.

 

“Government gives a bailout loan to operators of the industry and almost simultaneously removes all restrictions on the importation of foreign textiles. In addition, because of weak infrastructural base, which cannot support global competition, it becomes unprofitable for operators of the industry to manufacture locally.”

 

“They, therefore, resort to the more profitable channel of the importation of finished textile products, turning their factories into warehouses requiring not more than a handful of low level workers. Check it out, you will not see any manufacturer who relocated out of Nigeria giving strikes as excuse for the decision.”

 

Adewusi concluded by saying, “the so-called incessant strikes were not manufactured by workers but forced on workers by insensitive corporate and political governance. In addition, that strikes scare foreign investors is a fallacy, these foreign investors are coming from backgrounds where trade unions freedom and democracy are entrenched. The real scare off for foreign investors, are issues of insecurity, collapsing or collapsed infrastructure, lack of electricity, policy inconsistency and somersault in the polity.”