Joe Ajaero
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has ruled out the possibility of the labour workforce embarking on a new industrial action following the rejection of the N62,000 minimum wage by the state governors.
Recall that the Federal Government of Nigeria has arrived at N62,000 minimum wage for the Civil Servant, a wage bill majority of the state governors rejected, claiming the states did not have enough financial wherewithal to foot the bill.
Although Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, has submitted the proposed N62,000 minimum wage bill to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approval, the NLC boss, Ajaero said the labour will remain at their respective workplaces pending the outcome of the bill submitted to the President.
Joe Ajaero, ruled out the possibility of embarking on strike on Tuesday, while speaking at the ongoing International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
Ajaero said: “We cannot declare strike now because the figures are with the President.”
“During the tenure of the immediate past President, the figure that was proposed to him was N27,000 by the tripartite committee but he increased it to N30,000. We are hopeful that this President will do the right thing. The President had noted that the difference between N62,000 and N250,000 is a wide gulf,” he said.
Ajaero berated governors who declared that they wouldn’t be able to pay a minimum wage of N62,000.
He said, “How can any governor say he cannot pay? They cannot also be calling for the decentralization of the minimum wage.
“Are their wages decentralized? Governors whose states are not contributing a dime to the national purse and who generate pitiable Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) are collecting the same amount as governors whose states are generating billions of dollars into the FAAC.
“They should decentralize their salaries and emoluments first.”
He praised Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, who is paying a minimum wage of N70,000, as an example to be emulated.
He said, “So, where is the governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki getting his money from? He is paying N70,000 minimum wage. This is the type of governor that should be emulated and not the lazy ones.”
Category: World-News
Tag: Ajaero Speaks On New Industrial Action Over Minimum Wage
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Published 6/10/2024 9:33:20 PM