Checkmate FG’s unfriendly policies, Wike tells Labour

From Tony John, Port Harcourt

Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, has challenged the organised labour to live up to its responsibility by protecting the welfare of workers and by checkmating unfriendly policies of the federal government in the area of increase in fuel pump price and hike in electricity tariff.

He gave the charge yesterday while speaking at the commissioning of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) Secretariat building, constructed by the state government. He regretted that the organised labour has reduced itself to the issue of the minimum wage, rather than important national issues.

The governor recalled organised labour’s insincerity in tackling issues of national concerns under former President Goodluck Jonathan administration and deplored labour’s current attitude towards issues confronting the country.

Earlier in his remarks, the National President of TUC, Quadri Olaleye, thanked the governor for his friendly disposition and donation to the TUC. He reminded him of the minimum wage as a priority issue in labour all over the world. He noted that labour’s protest to stop the National Assembly from removing the national minimum wage from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List was in order, as it was the practice globally.

The TUC president noted that minimum wage was number one on President Biden’s priority list and added that the welfare of Nigerian workers should not be different.