Again, the Federal Government has resumed negotiations with its workforce, the Nigeria Labour Congress ((NLC), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), to avoid total shut down of the economy with the recent threat by the unions and their affiliates to down tools on May 31, 2024. The ding-dong affair between the Federal Government and the labour unions did not start today. In fact, each successive administration has had the labour unions to contend with, because of what commentators describe as poor remuneration of the Nigerian workers, which according to them, is not in tandem with the present economic realities compared with what their colleagues in other countries are being paid. The minimum wage of N30,000 currently paid to the Nigerian workers has remained contentious.
Those who subscribe and still push for the status quo to remain, after the promises made by the government to lift people out of poverty and to create wealth, should be seen as enemies of the society. Often times, the Federal Government had reneged on its promise after protracted meetings and signing of necessary documents, leaving the Nigerian people to wonder if Labour had not compromised and sold out! With the current increase in electricity tariffs, hike in fuel price, diesel, kerosene, with its concomitant effect in high cost of transportation, food items, and the astronomical increase of house rents in places such as Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt etc., Labour is asking for a minimum wage of N615,000 as the least monthly take home, if at all the Nigerian workers must survive, in view of the present economic hardship.
There are signs that government may settle for about N57,000, as minimum wage, a far cry from what Labour is asking for! While the Federal Government sees the Labour demands as unrealistic and just playing to the gallery, it is common knowledge that most Nigeria workers, practically trek to work. Those that have cars have equally parked them, owing to high cost of petrol and diesel. The point is, any civil servant that can afford to fuel his/ her car in this trying time, and also meet up with other financial obligations at home, should be investigated. That is how bad the situation is, at the moment. It is unthinkable that the Federal Government at all times should be on the negotiation table with the NLC, and at the end of such long hours of meetings, nothing concrete seems to come out of it.
It is on record that chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have come out openly to blame the immediate past administration for the woes of the Nigerian people and our economy, insisting that things would be done differently in the present dispensation under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. While we have not seen a clear departure from the old order, it must be sounded here that asking the masses to make sacrifices while those in government are living in stupendous affluence, negates the message of wealth creation which this government seeks to be pushing to the people.
Close to one year after this administration came on board, the country and her people are on life support, so to say, except for the few ones that have stolen from our common wealth. The palliative that is being talked about should not be the message of today, and the way to go; but instead, conscious efforts must be made to confront the situation headlong. We must state also that shutting down the economy as Labour has threatened to do will not help our cause, especially, this time when the nation is facing unimaginable economic challenges.
While we hope for an amicable settlement of the matter between Labour and FG, we advise government to get its priority right and come up with sustainable and enduring policies that would cushion the negative effects of minimum wage increment that may translate into increase in rent, food items, transportation and so on. Government should also realise that; nothing is too much to do for the Nigerian workers to be at peace, especially in the present circumstance we find ourselves. We expect government to ensure that the purchasing power of the citizens is enhanced, going forward!
