No minimum wage, no April elections – NLC

Tribune

3 March 2011

No minimum wage, no April elections – NLC

•As Reps pass N18,000 minimum wage bill [a whopping $120/mo.]
•Threaten to abandon 2011 budget

THE National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), on Wednesday, resolved that except the implementation of the N18,000 national minimum wage begins at the end of this month, the Federal Government should expect a showdown from the congress and forget the April 2011 general election.

The congress, while buttressing its argument, quoted Section 2 (1) of the National Minimum Wage Act, which states: “As from the commencement of this Act, it shall be the duty of every employer to pay a wage not less than the national minimum wage of N18,000 per month to every worker under his establishment.”

The NLC’s decision was reached at the ongoing 10th national delegates conference at This Day Dome, Abuja.

At the conference, it was agreed that only the implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage at the end of this month could guarantee the 2011 general election.

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Also, president of the NLC, Abdulwaheed Omar, has declared total war on employers of labour in the country directly or indirectly involved in casualisation and out-sourcing of workers in the nation’s economy.

He said: “The NLC congress has planned to declare total war on employers of labour in the country directly or indirectly involved in casualisation and out-sourcing of workers in the nation’s economy.”

He said: “The congress has re-invigorated its anti-casualisation and unionisation committee to launch the onslaught on recalcitrant employers of labour in the country that do not recognise the importance of decent work policy to the Nigerian economy,” he added.