The Organised Labour on Wednesday declared it would demand for two years arrears payment of the proposed new national minimum wage for Nigerian workers from the federal and state governments.
Ayuba Wabba, President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) made this known when he received Mrs. Rosa Pavanelli, General Secretary, Public Service International (PSI), in his office in Abuja.
Wabba expressed concern over the delay by President Muhammadu Buhari in transmitting the executive bill to the National Assembly.
“Workers in the country have made tremendous sacrifice and I think going forward, we are going to demand for arrears of those two years we have lost.
“Because I think with all fairness and justice, as they are going out to campaign we will also go out to campaign for our minimum wage.
“I also want to inform you that we have passed the first hurdle and it took us almost a year to be at the tripartite negotiation table for a figure, and we have agreed on a figure of N30, 000.
“That figure has been transmitted to Mr President who set up the committee and we have also told them to forward an executive bill immediately to the National Assembly.
“We are not unaware of the new tactics by the state governors to try to arm-twist what has already been done,’’ he said.
Wabba explained the process of the negotiation to his visitor noting that all factors, especially factors that were provided in convention 131 and 95 of the International Labour Organisation on the minimum wage were considered.
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“The issue of the purchasing power parity, inflation, ability to pay, all those factors were considered and that is how our demand of N66, 500 was then agreed mutually on N30, 000.
In her own remarks, the PSI General Secretary explained that she was in Nigeria to show support for trade union movement in Nigeria.
According to her, workers in the public service were faced with a lot of challenges especially in Nigeria.
“Working for months, providing services to people without being paid is something that is unacceptable and this unfortunately is what is happening here.
“This is very wrong and unacceptable, we must ensure good governance, social justice for the Nigerian workers, we will support you anytime you call on us,’’ she said.
She also noted that PSI was in Nigeria to fashion out ways of assisting the Internally Displace Persons.
Public Service International covers over 170 countries.
