By: Law press
With the declarations (and later suspension) of the strike action National Labour Congress, and other affiliated civil organisations, on Thursday the 27 of September 2018, the country witnessed another round of shut downs and lock downs similar to that of June 2011. Schools, banks, post offices, railroad corporations, Government Corporation and ministries nationwide shut down business. The Executives of the Labour Union, NLC, expressed their grievances, about the lackadaisical attitude of the federal government towards the plight of the common man, the vice chairman of the NLC, Uyo chapter, Comrade Ibara in an interview noted that, “…workers across the country are angry, all offices are under lock and key, you cannot expect to see any worker”
“They have been angry for years, this is slavery, we do not need to compel the workers to join the strike. We are talking about living wage here, what they’re calling calling minimum wage is not even living wage.”
Basically, the Union’s main reason for the strike was to compel a seemingly uncaring, uncommitted government to increase the minimum wage from a meagre amount of N18,000 to the previously promised N56,000. This stance was justified on many bases. One being the unworkable idea of having a person survive the present economic conditions on a monthly salary of N18,000 especially with the rising inflation rate. Earlier this year, former leader of the NLC and present national leader of the ruling party, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomole, in an interview published by the Daily Post, March 7, 2018, reiterated the Buhari administration was ready to pay the new wage. According to him the President would implement the payment of the new wage “..by the third quarter of 2018” and this, he emphasized was not a campaign strategy to win the 2019 elections. Well, we’re here now, the third quarter of the year, and many states are yet to pay up several months of owed salaries to their workers, as well as pensioners.
The FG in their bid to salvage the situation, called on the leadership of the NLC to call off the strike stating it would be detrimental to the economy; citing the January 2015 strike in which the federal government was said to have lost a trillion naira. The Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, reassured the union that the government was ready to go back to the round table to discuss the issue and reach a middle ground with the union. The Minister of Labour Chris Ngige, also described the administration as a labour friendly one which was ready to find a middle ground in the issue. The Accountant General of the Federation however noted that the Union was not responsive to government’s call for more talks, he noted that on getting to the Union’s headquarters, by Thursday, the gates were locked and nothing fruitful could arise from the recalcitrance of the union. However, in a surprising twist to this tale, barely three days into the strike, the leadership of the Union called off the strike, promising to resume all activities after the 1st of October Independence Day celebrations.
During the short lifespan of the strike however, public opinion was sharply divided on it. On one side, was the argument that the strike was ill timed and not well thought out. According to those holding this view, the new minimum wage demanded is nowhere near feasible, especially with regard to the present economic condition. To them, the fact that most state governments either owe outstanding salaries of several months or pay half salaries is a great pointer to the impracticability of the new wage structure. Furthermore, they point out the even greater disadvantages it would have on private companies, as most private employers already struggle to pay the N18,000 minimum wage, no thanks to the recent recession the nation just recovered from
On the other hand, the supporters of the Union argue that the Federal Government is fully capable of paying the newly proposed minimum wage and the industrial action was in fact, in the right direction. A certain twitter user, going by the twitter handle World Publicist noted how ironical it is for the country could afford to pay its senators as much as N13.5 Million for running costs and N750,000 basic salary excluding allowances but still claim not to be able to afford a mere N56,000. Contrast has also been drawn with other countries of the world regarding the ratio between the minimum wage, and lawmakers salary. For example in Côte d’Ivoire, a fellow African country, with an economy not even as boisterous as Nigeria’s, the minimum wage stands at $72 (compared to Nigeria’s $38) and the law makers do not earn as much as their Nigerian colleagues
Both arguments are not however, black-and-white different, a middle ground can be found in another round of opinion which follows the idea that the NLC is not being pragmatic as regards its demands. Their case is very similar to that of a person with a less than responsible spouse, who nags and places demands on the table without looking into why the spouse is irresponsible in the first place. The NLC should discuss with the FG, with the aid of economy experts and analysts, with enough statistics and facts. They should look into “why the Federal Government would be, or claim to be unable to pay the new proposed wages”. It should not just be a means of flinging the title comrades, to the faces of the Nigerian populace, like some heroic soldiers forever in the forefront of the fight against oppression.
It’s funny that the various reasons why the FG may be incapacitated in paying this wage is staring right in their (NLC) faces and they can do nothing about it, how about demanding for a drastic cut in the salaries and allowances pot bellied law makers?, that would sure increase the revenue of the FG.
What is even of greater concern, especially to economic analysts, is the fear of an already rising inflation, turning into a galloping inflation. Then we have a repeat of what played out in 2011, where minimum wage of N18,000 did little to improve the standard of living of the beneficiaries as a result of the inflation that followed the increments. It becomes a question of if N56,000 would not revert to the worth of N18,000, in few months time as market forces, men and women also struggle to get a scoop of the National Ice cream. While we hope steps are taken to stop the industrial action, we also hope these steps are in the right direction.
