Minimum Wage: Labour may resume strike if....
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- Category: Business and Economy
- Published on Thursday, 21 July 2011 07:30
- Written by Admin
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Organised labour unions in the country have declared their readiness to proceed with the three-day warning strike over the non-implementation of the new N18,000 minimum wage by some states scheduled for Wednesday but suspended at the last minute, if any signs of .“implementation inconsistencies.” emerge on the part of government.
The General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), Mr. Owei Lakemfa, and the President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria,(TUC),Mr. Peter Esele, said the suspension of the proposed warning strike does not mean organised labour had completely shelved the strike option. According to them, labour leaders from now onwards, will not readily to give in to .“any undue concessions and negotiating space to governments, or representatives of governments.” whenever there is a need to negotiate or dialogue on how to improve on the new minimum wage..” Both labour leaders spoke separately in telephone interview with National Mirror on Wednesday, to explain why labour called off the warning strike at the last minute.
According to the President of the TUC, .“The overriding interests of the millions of workers in the country; their dependents and the several other millions that will be adversely affected by the outcome of the warning strike, was what motivated labour to shelve its plans to go on strike, and not anything special or unique that the government, or the Nigerian Governors Forum, (NGF) said or did during negotiations..” The TUC president added that left for organised labour alone, the government would have been better left in a position, where it can learn its lesson from the loss it would incur during the period, and also to learn to respect the demands of its workers and the people. (National Mirror)
