• NLC urges Ikpeazu to implement pay
Kaduna State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday condemned state governors who are stalling the implementation of the new national minimum pay.
The union said the governors do not patronise markets and therefore, were ignorant of the sufferings of workers and other Nigerians.State NLC Chairman, Adamu Ango, stated this while addressing the protesters, saying the governors’ action was self-serving.
“Everything about the governors has been taken care of by the government with huge sums of money.“These same people hide under security votes to spend any amount of money without being audited, but they object to workers being paid N30,000. If government is truly fighting corruption, they should pay a living wage and not even minimum wage.
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“Since negotiation has been concluded, the Federal Government should transmit a bill to the National Assembly (NASS) so that it becomes law,” he said.Besides, Chairman of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Shehu Mohammed, in his message, said the new pay was the constitutional right of workers and not a privilege.
Mohammad, whose message was delivered by Ibrahim Nda, noted that state governments could pay the new wage if they end corruption in their states.Also, organised labour in Abia State yesterday joined their counterparts across the country to protest the new national minimum wage, whose transmission by the President to the National Assembly for passage into law is being delayed.
The rally/streets walk, which commenced from the state NLC Secretariat in Umuahia, terminated at government house where they delivered a letter to Governor Okezie Ikpeazu.In the letter, the union urged the state government to commit to the speedy implementation of the N30,000 new national minimum wage when enacted into law.
Speaking, Comrade Samson Ugwoke, who represented the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, decried President Muhammadu Buhari for delaying the transmission of the Executive Bill to the National Assembly.The state NLC Chairman, Comrade Uchenna Obigwe, urged Ikpeazu to settle arrears of workers salaries and pensions, but commended him for appointing a Pension Manager in the state.
