The Nigerian workers have demanded for the immediate payment of the new N30,000 minimum wage as stated by President Muhammadu Buhari while assenting to the Act.
At May Day celebration, held at the Eagle Square, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba and the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Bobboi Bala Kaigama jointly read the address to the workers.
“There is no better May Day gift as the N30,000 new national minimum wage. We commend the National Assembly and Mr. President for acceding to our demand for an increase in the national minimum wage, however delayed.
“As directed by Mr. President during the signing ceremony, all employers of labour must commence payment of the new national minimum wage immediately,” he said.
The workers said contrary to the official data from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) that inflation had dropped from 11.44 percent in December 2018 to 11.25 percent, the unofficial reality shows that life is becoming increasingly excruciating for the average worker and citizen.
“The phenomenal hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as fuel in 2016, the devaluation of Naira in the same year and increase in the cost of electricity in the past five years have sustained high inflation rates.
“The persistence of double-digit inflation and stagnant remuneration for workers has almost wiped off the purchasing power of Nigerian workers,” they said.
They said working families are unable to meet up with the basic cost of living, especially feeding and decent accommodation thus, plummeting living standards to an all-time low.
The organized labour called on President Buhari to create mass jobs through the diversification of the economy, and that, it should be anchored on a strong commitment to industrialization.
They said as at last count, the combined unemployment and underemployment rate in Nigeria was 43.5 percent.
On revival of the textile industry, the workers demanded for the recovery of the cotton value chain and revisiting of the textile revitalization fund.
The workers demanded for the probe of the N100bn intervention fund of the textile sector under former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
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