The Organised Labour, comprising the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) declared on Saturday that they are going to war with the Federal Government over the continued delay in the implementation of the new national minimum wage.
The labour union added that the recent threat by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, that the government would have to retrench workers to implement Labour demand on the N30,000, consequential adjustments for Grade Level 7 to 17.
Labour said they are ready with their “armoury and ammunition,” for war and that the government should be ready, adding that following the deadline and the October 16 ultimatum given to the government, “there is nothing to talk about, we are not prepared to trade in words with anybody.”
Tribune Online reports that the Secretary-General of TUC, Comrade Musa-Lawal Ozigi, and the President of NLC, said the minister of Labour was on his own, and merely expressing his own position that the government would sack to implement Labour demand on the new minimum wage consequential adjustments.
To the TUC scribe, there is no need at this point to ask labour if they are already mobilizing or not, warning that the minister and the government would see when the deadline expired and have refused to address their demand and the impending crisis.
He also pointed out that labour had already expressed its position to President Muhammadu Buhari and the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and would see what becomes of the situation when the date expired.
Comrade Lawal said: “Somebody says he is going to war, he didn’t say I am thinking of going to war. He said he is going to war on the so, so date and you are asking if he has armoury or ammunitions. Let the day of the war come, whether we are mobilizing or not, they would see.
“There is nothing to talk about, we are not prepared to trade in words with anybody. We have expressed our position even to the President and to the Vice President. Fortunately, the minister was also there. If they think we are playing, well the days have not expired, let’s see when the days expired, and what shall become of them. But I know they will not leave it to pass-bye because they know what we can do.”
On the threat of sack of workers by the government to enable it to implement labour demands, he described such as a mere hear-say and a personal opinion of the minister which doesn’t represent the official government position.
