Nigerian workers have demanded the implementation of the N35,000 wage award approved by the federal government as a measure to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.
The workers threatened to disrupt the Christmas celebration if their employers fail to pay the award before the end of the year.
This was disclosed by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, a former President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and immediate past governor of Edo State, at the 8th Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Non-Academics Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU),NASU in Abuja on Tuesday.
Oshiomhole urged the organised labour to ensure that all workers in Nigeria, whether public or private, received the N35,000 wage award, which he said was the minimum acceptable amount for workers to cope with the hardship caused by the removal of fuel subsidy.
“NLC threatened strike or something like that because that was not exactly the way we used to do it. Now N35,000 was approved but I don’t know what NLC demanded because it was not exposed to the Nigerian people. The tradition is the National Working Committee and National Executive Council would meet, debate and would say based on this increase, this is the minimum without which we would not accept,” Oshiomhole said.
He added that the N35,000 wage award must affect all workers in Nigeria, regardless of their sector or location, and that any employer who failed to comply with the agreement should not be allowed to enjoy a peaceful Christmas celebration.
“The truth is, that demand must affect every worker whether private or public. That is the logic of the demand. Once you have an agreement, it has to be obeyed at all levels. Please tell the NLC President that those are the issues that they must solve, so that this December, nobody goes home without that N35,000. Whether such worker is working for the federal, state, local government or the private sector, that N35,000 must be paid. If you don’t pay, there would be no Christmas for you as employer whether public or private sector,” he said.
Oshiomhole also appreciated the President for approving the N35,000 wage award for federal employees as an interim measure, and commended the state governments that had done the same for their workers. He, however, called on the remaining state governments to announce and implement their awards as soon as possible, as all state government workers were equally affected by the same hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy.
The President of NASU, Dr. Makolo Hassan, also expressed his gratitude to the President and the state governments that have approved the N35,000 wage award for their workers. He said that NASU was committed to the welfare and well-being of its members, and would continue to fight for their rights and interests.
“We equally appreciate state governments that have also done the same for employees of their states. In view of the fact that all state government workers are equally affected by the same hardship occasioned by the removal of fuel subsidy, we call on the remaining state governments to, as a matter of urgency, announce and implement their awards,” Hassan said.
He also urged the federal government to expedite the process of implementing the new national minimum wage, which he said was long overdue. He said that NASU would not relent in its struggle for a living wage for all workers in Nigeria.
