Labour body promises to monitor budget implementation

The United Labour Congress (ULC) has said that it will collaborate with civil society to monitor budget implementation at the federal and state levels.

The ULC President, Joe Ajaero who made the promise through a statement in Lagos on Monday, said the congress was made up of 16 unions, and would begin the monitoring this year.

He said the move became necessary both for purpose of accountability and to ensure that Nigerians felt the impact of governance at all levels.

”We shall constitute a nation-wide committee, using our respective state councils in conjunction with other civil society organisations, to monitor budget implementation at both levels.

”This, we believe, will help government to block all leakages in their budget implementation processes,” he said.

According to Ajaero, the ULC has also resolved to enter into a fresh dialogue with the Federal Government concerning a new national minimum wage of N96,000 per month for workers .

He said that the ULC would seek greater coverage of the minimum wage to include workers in both the formal and informal sectors.

”In this light, we shall work towards designing a wage floor that will be automatically self-adjusting just like it is done in other advanced nations of the world,” he said.

Ajaero cited the U.S. where the minimum wage had been reviewed upwards, saying the nation had been experiencing rising inflation and low cost of living.

He said the union would intensify efforts through various platforms, especially the 16-man Federal Government Technical Committee, to revisit the high cost of petroleum products in the country, imploring the government to empower the committee to conclude its work quickly.

” Employers that have taken delight in abusing and violating the rights and privileges of workers in Nigeria while disregarding labour and trade union laws will not be tolerated.

”We shall pursue, in conjunction with the relevant agencies of government, the compliance of workplaces with the laws of Nigeria and the relevant international standards,” Ajaero said.

He, however, congratulated the government and the military on their victories against the Boko Haram insurgents, urging that the same zeal be deployed in protecting lives and property in the country.