By Chimezie Godfrey
The President, Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Ayuba Wabba has called on all tiers of government to commence full implementation of the N30,000 national minimum wage.
He also said that negotiations for the consequential salary adjustment must be concluded for all workers to have reason to smile at the end of this October.
Wabba made these assertions at the “2019 World Day for Decent Work,” themed “Invest in the Care Economy”, Monday.
Represented by the Vice President, Benjamin Anthony, he said that descent work is work that is secured and done by free workers who are entitled to form trade unions and engaged in collective bargaining to protect their rights at work.
He added that descent work means work that is productive and guarantees minimum and living wage for workers, social protection for families, better prospects for personal development and social integration.
“Comrades, there cannot be decent work without decent wages. The national minimum wage is the floor for descent wages. We call on all tiers of government in Nigeria to commence full implementation of the N30,000 national minimum wage.
“Also, negotiations for the consequential salary adjustment must be concluded now so that all workers would have a reason to smile at the end of this October,” he said.
The Labour Boss reiterated their determination to enforce the regularization of casual, contract and outsourced workers in line with Nigerian Labour laws.
He stressed that it is high time they brought to an end all forms of abuses, unfair, punitive and unjust practices that workers are subjected to.
“As we exemplify today in a number of work places across the country, we will picket recalcitrant employers who have a history of violation of workers right to decent work especially those who made a habit of casualization, outsourcing and denying workers their fundamental human rights of freedom to join trade unions of their choice.
“We will dare you and we will win you,” he said.
The NLC President said their demand is that workers should be treated with dignity in the factories, offices, schools, hospitals, and other work spaces, adding that workers are not expendable commodities.
He further demanded that workers should have regularized appointments, decent work hours, paid leave, guaranteed renumeration at work and regular pension at retirement, among other things.
Wabba reaffirmed the position of NLC that decent work must be at the center of government actions to bring back economic growth and build a new global economy that puts people first.
He said: “Putting people first means reversal of the ugly trend of wage poverty and extreme inequality.
“We therefore join the rest of the global trade union movement to call on government to increase investment in care to generate economic growth, tackle growing demographic challenges and help overcome gender discrimination by mainstreaming women in the economy.”
He pointed out that investment in care economy means prioritizing investment in extended social protection to women, extended leave for care for children, secured parental leave for both gender and change in work arrangement to allow workers to achieve the critical balance between work and family.
The Chairman, Labour Civil Society Coalition, Abuja, Ezenwa Nwangwu said that everything that touches on the dignity of the Nigerian workers diminishes us as a people.
“We have a responsibility not just as workers but also as citizens to ensure that everywhere that the rights of workers and citizens are respected.
“And we ensure that the wellbeing of workers and citizens of our country are taken as priority,” he said.
Nwangwu said mega churches are setting up administrations which they employ workers and nobody have ever bordered to ask whether they are paid living wages or if they have condition for service.
“I think as we explain today and mark injustice, we must also think of our brothers and sisters held in slave camps that are called church administrations.
“And were using divine authority to hold them down in those places for many years without pension, without gratuity, without allowances of promotion.
” think that as we mark this world decent day, it is important to call on church leaders who have employed workers and are paying them wages that can not take them home, that are not promoting them, and not giving them something to look up to in the future to also think about it that these are all workers of Nigeria and they deserve a better living condition like all of us,” he stressed.
