The Nigeria Labour Congres (NLC) has chided both the Federal Government and the National Assembly for ‘prioritising’ passage and signing into law of the National Anthem Bill over a worker’s welfare.
Addressing newsmen yesterday in Katsina, Katsina State NLC chairman, Hamisu Yanduna, marveled at the 48-hour timeframe it took the two arms of government to pass and assent to the anthem but rather “played politics” when it came to the issue of minimum wage for workers.
Yanduna reminded both parties that the demand for better wages by workers was a right, adding that the economic realities in the country make it even more pertinent for a review of workers’ wages.
He said: “Look at the way the two chambers, within 48 hours, passed a bill for the national anthem. That shows the national anthem is more important than the demand of workers. In less than 48 hours, the President has also signed it into law. But look at the minimum wage, how long have we been negotiating with the Federal Government?”
“What we are seeing is like the Federal Government is ready to accommodate the strike action because we met with the Senate President, Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF) and other key personalities, but there was nothing tangible.”
What they are requesting is the suspension of the strike, and not attending to the cause.” Yanduna insisted that organised labour would not relent in the pursuit of what was a right before the law, even as he called on workers in the state to ensure strict compliance with the strike order.
Yanduna stated that workers across the state had expressed happiness over the industrial action, insisting that the strike would pave the way for better wages for them in the coming days.
The organised labour had earlier gone around the metropolis to ensure total compliance by both the federal and state secretariats, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). commercial banks and related bodies. Amid the exercise, some banks were seen offering skeletal services, while security operatives were patrolling to forestall the breakdown of law and order.
