MINIMUM WAGE: Our agitation not political —NLC

Ahead of its scheduled Monday meeting with the federal government, the Nigeria Labour Congress said the demand for N30,000 national minimum wage for workers was not political.

It said the emancipation of Nigerian workers was non negotiable irrespective of the government in power.

After the meeting with the FG ended in deadlock last week, the NLC alongside Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other sister labour unions are expected to meet again with the federal government today (Monday) to avert the planned January 8 strike.

The Gombe state chairman of the union, Mr Haruna Kamara, during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, said the union was an independent entity devoid of any political affiliation.

He said, “People should not join the issue of the struggle for national minimum wage, the welfare of Nigeria workers and pensioners with politics.

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“This has been the norm in the past as political stakeholders often accuse labour of supporting the opposition. In 2013/2014 when we had a similar situation, many accused labour of being political with minimum wage.

“Then the struggle for the welfare of workers was perceived by many as a window to bring in the opposition and today the same thing is being said of labour.

“Those mixing labour struggle with politics are beneficiaries of the present predicament of the Nigerian workers.

“Our struggle for workers is constitutionally time-bound and not a product of the decisions of labour leaders. Our struggle is for the emancipation of workers.

“Workers are the most effective tool for development and change,’’ he added.

He expressed confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari would take concerted in resolving the face off between the government and the workers.

Organised labour demands the transmission of the N30,000 national minimum wage bill to the National Assembly, as agreed by a tripartite committee set up by the government but the FG has since been slowing down in meeting the demands of the workers.

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