The Nation Newspaper Why Labour strike is illegal, by Federal Govt
The Federal Government has described as “premature, ineffectual and illegal” Labour’s strike call over the new minimum wage, which begins today.It also said there is a subsisting court order precluding Labour from embarking on strike, which is yet to be vacated.
Also yesterday, the National Assembly said it would engage the parties to the dispute “in constructive dialogue and explore a variety of solutions in addressing the issues at hand.” On Saturday, Information and National Orientation Minister Mohammed Idris explained that the government rejected the N494,000 demand by labour because it would lead to a rise in its wage bill of N9.5 trillion annually.
“You are aware that the Federal and state governments are not the only employers to be bound by the new national minimum wage, hence, it is vital to balance the interest and capacity of all employers of labour in the country , in order to determine a minimum wage for the generality of the working population.
“In addition to the foregoing, the legality or legitimacy of the proposed strike action is also strongly called to question by the fact that both NLC and TUC failed to comply with the statutory condition precedent provided for under Section 18 of the Trade Disputes Act 2004 . “The MOU entails provisions for payment of wage award, setting up of the minimum wage committee, provision of CNG buses and conversion kits, tax incentives, etc.
The National Assembly had before its meeting with the labour leaders said it decided to wade into the matter because ‘’both parties have tenable reasons for their respective positions.’’After their deliberations with Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker, labour leaders said there was no going back on the strike.
“We would have been happy if this evening we had a great understanding. That would have enabled us to sign off issues bordering on the minimum wage tomorrow morning. It would have just been to prepare the report and sign. Akpabio said: “We decided to intervene because we are a people’s parliament. The 10th National Assembly believes strongly that anything that will bring more yoke, more suffering to the people of Nigeria must be avoided.’’
Ngelale emphasised that while President Tinubu was committed to improving the welfare of Nigerians, current economic realities cannot support labour’s demand.The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools , Bishop of Ibadan South Diocese, Anglican Communion, Rt. Rev. Akintunde Popoola, Christian Association of Nigeria , Imo State branch, and former Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu joined in the call on the NLC and TUC to shelve the strike.
Adding that “the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination will continue as scheduled,’’ he enjoined students ‘’to adhere to the original timetable and ensure timely attendance. While Popoola said the unions must realise that their N494,000 demand could lead to inflation, Okechukwu argued that the sum was unaffordable considering that most states are unable to pay the current N30,000 minimum wage.Sultan of Sokoto Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III advised labour leaders to consider the effects of the strike on Nigerians whose interests they are fighting for.
Sultan Abubakar said, having been personally involved in such negotiations in the past, he was aware of the fact that the labour leaders are doing what is right by making a case for better welfare for workers. “WAEC shares in the concerns of the generality of Nigerian workers, as most of its employees in Nigeria consist of members of both unions.
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