Be fully involved in 2019 election, ULC urges workers

The United Labour Congress (ULC) has urged Nigerian workers to collect their Permanent Voter Card (PVC) and be fully involved in 2019 general election in order to chase out any anti-labour government.

Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, the Chairman, Lagos Chapter of the union gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

According to the chairman, such votes can go a long way to change any government that is not workers friendly, if only workers have their Permanent Voter Cards.

“We cannot imagine a situation in which political class are smiling home with cash while workers are languishing in poverty.

“A situation whereby some state governments cannot pay the minimum wage of N18, 000 salaries of their workers while the Federal Government is planning to increase the workers’ salaries is very sad.

“ Some state governments are even owing their workers salary while they are living like kings; this is pathetic,” he said.

Korodo said that there was nothing to showcase for the coming May Day Celebration on May 1.

According to him, all ULC members will gather at Ojuelegba Bus Stop, walk to Alaka, and from there move to National Stadium to march to mark the celebration.

NAN reports that the Federal Government Tripartite Committee on the new National Minimum Wage, days back, held public hearing across the country to gather inputs from stakeholders on a new minimum wage.

In Enugu on Thursday, Nigerian workers and pensioners urged both Federal and State Governments as well as private employers to facilitate payment of the new minimum wage to reduce the suffering of workers.

They made the plea at a public hearing organised by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage for the South-East.

In Abuja, Gov. Rauf Aregbesola of Osun advised the organised Labour to demand for fair, just and implementable National Minimum Wage for the Nigerian workers in the country.

Aregbesola spoke during the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage Public Hearing in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Thursday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the organised labour had submitted a Memorandum to the Tripartite Committee, demanding for a monthly National Minimum Wages of N66, 500.

Aregbesola, who is also the Chairman, Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage, North Central Sub-committee, said the cost of living in any economy must influence the wages paid to the workers.

In Ibadan, the Oyo State Chapter of NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the state said the N18,000 minimum wage was not good enough any longer with the nation’s economy, and recommend N66,500 minimum wage for workers.

Mr Waheed Olojede, the State NLC Chairman and his TUC counterpart, Mr Ogunsola Ogundiran, told journalists on Friday during the South-West Zonal Public Hearing on New Minimum Wage held at Premier Hotel.

They said they had harmonised their position and aligned with N 66,500 minimum wage.

While the federal government is working to increase the salaries, some states are still unable to clear arrears for several months owed their workers.