From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
Organised Labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to address the hardship and rising cost of living in the nation.
In a joint statement, the labour bodies said the government has failed to honour the 16-point agreement that was reached on October 2, 2023, with them.
According to a statement, the labour movements accused the government of neglecting the welfare of Nigerians and the workers.
They said: “everything must be done within the two weeks to avoid a situation where we may be compelled to take appropriate steps to protect Nigerian workers and masses.
“Despite the passage of time, the majority of these crucial agreements remain unmet or negligibly addressed, indicating a blatant disregard for the principles of good faith, welfare and rights of Nigerian workers and Nigerians.
“The government’s failure to uphold its end of the bargain is deeply regrettable and unacceptable to the working people and the citizenry.
“Constrained by this development and recognising the urgency of the situation and the imperative of ensuring the protection and defence of the rights and dignity of Nigerian workers and citizens, the NLC and TUC hereby issue a stern ultimatum to the Federal Government, to honour its part of the understanding within 14 days from today.
“These agreements which were reached with the Federal Government were focused on addressing the massive suffering and the general harsh socio-economic consequences of the ill-conceived and ill-executed International Monetary Fund/World Bank induced hike in the price of PMS and the devaluation of the naira.
“These dual policies have had, as we predicted, dire economic consequences for the masses and workers of Nigeria.
“Widespread hunger is now ravishing millions of Nigerians, with the workers purchasing power significantly eroded, while insecurity has assumed an increasing dimension. Nigerians are left wondering where their next meals will come from and what tomorrow might bring.
“The level of panic and anxiety among the populace has become nightmarish. Unfortunately, in the midst of all these, it appears our government is bereft of appropriate measures to ameliorate the huge burden it has foisted on the citizenry.
“We wish to state that these agreements, which encompass a wide range of issues crucial to the well-being of Nigerian masses and workers, have not been honoured as pledged by the Federal Government. From wage awards, palliative adjustments to improved access to public utilities; to the meddlesomeness in the internal affairs of the National Union of Road Transport Workers and the interference by the Lagos State government in union activities, the case of illegal and unlawful proscription of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria.
“It is regrettable that we are compelled to resort to such measures, but the persistent neglect of the welfare of citizens and Nigerian workers and the massive hardship leaves us with no choice. Therefore, everything must be done within the two weeks to avoid a situation where we may be compelled to take appropriate steps to protect Nigerian workers and masses.
“We call upon the Federal Government to honour its commitments without delay. The time for empty promises and excuses has passed. The time for action is now. Our patience has worn thin and the situation has become unbearable for workers and masses all over the federation.”
Labour said further silence amounted to committing mass suicide and the ultimatum remained the only feasible course of action left for it and Nigerians to -compel remedial action by government.
“We are committed to this resolve towards salvaging Nigerian workers and masses from the apparent insensitivity and lethargy of those in the corridors of power who are supposed to be the bastion of public trust,” it said.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has assured labour that it would not go back on its promises to workers, debunking allegation that it does not keep to it’s promises.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who made the appeal, urged the two labour centres to attend a roundtable discussion in order to find peaceful solutions to any disagreements, telling them that going on strike was not in anyone’s best interest.
“It is not in government’s interest for the labour to continue to go on strike. We appeal to labour, let them come again, around the table to continue to have engagements and conversations around whatever gray areas they think they have in some of these agreements that have already been signed.”
Reminded that labour accused the government of being in the habit of not keeping to agreements, Idris said, “No, I think government keeps its promises. If there are other things that they (NLC, TUC) think they are concerned about, I think that they will sit down with government and government is ever ready to listen to labour so that we can have an amicable resolution to all these.”
•Pensioners threaten to protest naked
In a related development, retirees, on the platform of the Nigeria Union Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP), have vowed to take to the streets and protest unclad, if they are not included in the newly constituted Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, yesterday, NUP President, Godwin Abumisi, decried the appalling living conditions of many on older persons in the country due to negligence, saying the union had lost about 1,500 of its members to hardship and high cost of living.
Abumisi disclosed in some states such as Enugu, Yobe, Ondo, Kogi, among many others, pensioners still earned as low as N3,000 to N4,000 as monthly pension.
He, therefore, said it was important for the union to be carried along in the new minimum wage decision-making process, to give it the opportunity to propose a new minimum pension for its members to the committee.
The NUP leader said: “I want to say it clearly and I want you to write it, I am going to lead Nigerian pensioners naked. I mean naked. When we are going to protest, we are going to go naked on the streets. Write down this so that the world will see it, Nigerian pensioners are going to demonstrate naked. If they like, let them arrest us or ask us if we are mad. We have reached a situation where we can now say, ‘we are mad’.
“It may sound incredible and absurd, but it is the naked fact that many of our members across the states of the federation are still earning as low as N500, N1,000 as monthly pensions, particularly, in the South East states. Others are Borno State N4,000, Gombe N8,000, Jigawa N12,000, Katsina N7,000, Kogi N5,000, Kwara N3,000, Niger N4,000, Taraba N5,000, Yobe N4,500, Zamfara N3,000, Nasarawa N4,000, Osun N10,000, Ondo N3,000, Oyo N5,400, Enugu N450, Adamawa N2000, Kano N5,000.
“It is important to highlight here that the above pension rates are as low as shown above due to non-harmonisation of pensions which the union has always made a case for, as well as the non-implementation and payment of the previously reviewed N18,000 minimum wage in 2010 and the N30,000 minimum wage in 2019 by many states of the federation. Sadly, the non-implementation of these salary reviews in the states has affected the corresponding increases in pensions in the various states under reference.
“NUP takes exception to and disagree with the untenable excuses by the state governments that they cannot afford the implementation and payment of the previous wage reviews, even with the increase in federal allocation to states by the present administration under the able leadership of President Bola Tinubu is unacceptable and unpardonable.
“Therefore, given the above records, and in the interest of fairness and justice, we wish to propose N100,000 as the national minimum pension to the tripartite committee in line with the proposed N200,000 National Minimum Wage by the NLC, as anything short of that would incur the wrath of the pensioners who are hard-hit by the prevailing economic hardship, occasioned by the ever-rising cost of living in a geometrical progression.
“We have the authority of our members to call for a mass protest across the country, particularly in the capital city of Abuja if our demands are not being addressed by the Federal Government.
“We feel the pensioners’ union should be carried along during negotiations on the matters that borher their members. Unfortunately and regrettably too, our hope of being represented in the committee was dashed as the name of NUP was visibly omitted from the membership list.
“Some may argue the interest of the NUP as a member of the organised labour family would be sufficiently catered for by the representatives of NLC in the committee.
Responding to whether the retirees got the promised palliative by the government, he said: “Shamefully and embarrassingly too, even the so-called palliatives and the wage award of N25,000 promised by the Federal Government to pensioners and other vulnerable groups are yet to see the light of the day, leaving the hopeless, dejected and frail pensioners who have little or no resources to take care of their needs to their fate.”