By Sani Idris
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Kaduna State Council, says it would only accept N200,000 salary increase for now with prospects to demand further increase to N500,000 in the second quarter of 2024.
Mr Ayuba Sulaiman, the NLC Chairman, Kaduna Council, said this on Wednesday while addressing newsmen during demonstration over removal of fuel subsidy without adequate palliative measures.
“The minimum we can manage as salary increment is N200, 000 for a start.
“For the first quarter of 2024 we can then seek for review of minimum wage where we can bear with the Government on increment to N500, 000 minimum,” he told newsmen.
He said because of the legal circumstances arounnd minimum wage increase the NLC in Kaduna State was not seek minimum wage but merely wants increases in the salary of its members.
Sulaiman explained that minimum wage increment comes from a law, which is subjected to review after five years, notion that the last was in 2019 and therefore not time to talk about the review.
He said the present NLC in Kaduna was demanding reversal of the pump price of petroleum to 185 naira.
“We have agreed and entered negotiation that the pump price be reversed back to N185.
“The reason is because the court of the Federal Government has ordered the NLC not to go take strike actions.
“They said we should maintain status quo and the status quo before now is we (Nigerians) buying PMS at N185, so we will maintain it as pronounced by the court.
“The status quo is not N540 or N617. The cabals want us to buy fuel at N1000 before end of the year, that is their plans and we will not agree to that,” Sulaiman said.
The NLC chairman said the Federal Government should fix the nation’s refineries as soon as possible.
“If we can refine our crude oil in the country, we don’t need to pay any demurrage, we wouldn’t need dollars again or any parallel markets.
“We have colleagues working in the refineries, they should be revived, our colleagues should not be left redundant.
“The Government should use the funds it is planning to borrow from the World Bank to revive the refineries,” he said. (NAN)
