Minimum wage: NLC mulls mass action

 

THE organized Labour may have decided to embark on mass action to protest the recent hike in electricity tariff and the paltry minimum wage of N18,000, while cost of living has be­come prohibitive.

President of Nigeria Labour Con­gress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Waba hinted yesterday at the Pre-May Day Lecture in Abuja that Labour might take a decisive action to press home their demands for the review of in­creased energy tariff, as well as mini­mum salary increase to N56,000 im­mediately after today’s workers’ day celebrations.

Comrade Waba regretted that the nation still groans in darkness even af­ter government has, according to him sunk over $50billion in the power sec­tor. He reiterated that the review of the privatization process of the power sec­tor was the only panacea to the power problem of the country.

“I think immediately after the May Day, we are going to take action on the increased electricity tariff and the minimum wage. A lot of proposals have been made, but we will take ac­tion. Let me also reiterate the call for the review of the privatization process of the power sector. More than 40 to 50 billion dollars was spent by the govern­ment so far in the power sector, yet all we got is darkness,” he stated.

He further said that the best time to increase wage was during recession, so that workers would have money to spend.

The NLC President described the  political elite as irresponsible, saying that the challenges facing the nation today have proven that “our leaders have failed.”

He therefore, enjoined all progres­sive forces to join NLC and TUC and ensure that government is ac­countable.

Guest Speaker, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) who spoke on the theme: “The working class and the quest for socio-economic revival” said that the APC-led government has shown that it cannot keep to its promise of run­ning a welfarist government.

Falana, who was represented by human rights activist, Mr. Ezenwa Nwagwu urged Labour to launch campaign for the recovery of all looted wealth and prosecution of the suspects.