The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has raised an alarm on what it described as plans by the National Assembly to remove the national minimum wage law from the exclusive to the concurrent legislative list.

The Bill which it said has passed first and second reading, is sponsored by Hon. Garba Datti-Mohammed of Sabon Gari Federal Constituency, Kaduna state and seeks to make it possible for all the states in the federation to fix their own minimum wage.

Rising from an emergency National Executive Council meeting in Abuja, the NLC President Comrade Ayuba Wabba said NEC had decided to stage a National protest across the 36 states, especially at the National Assembly to express displeasure over the development towards the bill.

Ayuba said that the current battle to remove the National Minimum wage from the Exclusive list to the Concurrent legislative list is described by NEC as an attempt to negate the struggle and fight by Nigerian workers to get the National Minimum Wage passed as an Act of Parliament forty years ago.

He said that NEC also frowned and condemned in strong terms the current hoarding and ensuing artificial scarcity of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol, in fuel stations in major cities of Nigeria.
The Organised labour also vowed to picket petroleum stations across the country found to inflict pains on Nigerians through hoarding of the premium motor spirit.

On Removal Of National Minimum wage from Exclusive To Concurrent Legislative List Ayuba said “that the National Minimum wage is a global standard adopted by the International Labour Organization (ILO) through Convention 26 which was ratified by Nigeria on June 16, 1961. The ratification of this very important convention by Nigeria was given statutory effect by the signing into law of the National Minimum Wage Act by the President Shehu Shagari government in May 1981”.

On fuel hoarding he said “The NEC noted that the current trend of petroleum products hoarding and the resultant artificial scarcity imposes great hardship and suffering on the already traumatized Nigerian workforce and people who are being punishing and further impoverished in order to satisfy the greed of a few marketers of refined petroleum products”.

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Non Academic Staff Union Of Universities NASU and the Senior Staff Association Of Nigerian Universities SSANU has suspended its ongoing strike.
The suspension will take effect from midnight of January 26.
Briefing Journalists after a reconciliatory meeting with the Federal Government that lasted for about five hours, the NASU General Secretary, Comrade Peters Adeyemi, said the union agreed to suspend the nation wide strike after extracting some concessions from the Federal government.

He said that their demands have been harmonized to the satisfaction of both parties.

He further said that the agreement reached will be monitored, with a time frame given to the Federal Government to make sure adequate implementation is effected.

Adeyemi however stressed that the union will not hesitate to declare a nation wide strike if government fails to keep their part of the bargain.

“We had 8 items which we negotiated and which form the basis for our ongoing national strike. Our members in our various campuses in the universities and inter university centres had appraised the draft MoU and then raised the few observations, but they granted us the mandate that if we are able to meet with the government which we have been able to do today and if the leadership is satisfied, we can go ahead and suspend the strike.

“So we have held the meeting with the government side and those areas that needed to be harmonized have been harmonized to the satisfaction of both parties and resulting from that development, we have agreed that the ongoing national strike in universities and inter university centres should be suspended with effect from 12 midnight tomorrow which is Friday 26, February.

“We use this opportunity to appreciate our members for their commitment in this struggles, this strike is suspended and we are not mindful of the fact that we will continue to monitor the agreements that has been reached which has timeline and we hope that the Federal Government will implement his own side of the bargain.

“If the Federal Government doesn’t, we have no reason to call our members to resume the suspended strike but for now, the strike is suspended with effect from 12 midnight of tomorrow February 26.”

Earlier, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, who played the role of the chief reconciliator, said the meeting was very fruitful as all the rough edges arising from the former negotiations have been smoothened.

“Today’s deliberations have been very fruitful, we have also issued a conciliation document called Joint Action Memorandum of Action (MoA), and the two unions will get back to their members today and in good faith, have promised that there will speak to government before the end of tomorrow.

“So we keep our fingers crossed, believing that their communications with their union members will be as quick and swift as they have promised us.

“This is more so, as government is desirous that normal activities should return to the University system so that we can take the action one after the other. With the normalcy restored in the university system, we intend to do the visitation panel which is one of the agreements reached with them and which cannot be carried out without normalcy in the university system.” Ngige said

The unions demand included, rectifying inconsistencies in the Integrated Payroll Personnel Information System (IPPIS), non-payment of arrears of minimum wage, delay in renegotiation with government, NASU and SSANU 2009 agreement, among others.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has picketed the headquarters of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in Abuja.

The protest which is to last for three days was led by the NLC President Comrade Ayuba Wabba. The protest started in the morning with the premises of the Commission blocked, members of NLC carrying placards, dancing and chanting solidarity songs and preventing workers from gaining access into the building.

Speaking at the protest, the President Nigeria Labour Congress , Comrade Ayuba Wabba alleged that the Commission’s Registrar General, Garba Abubakar stalled staff promotion and brought in environmental experts to fumigate the agency for N35million in view of the Covid-19 pandemic, including contracting someone to paint the Zone 5 annex office for N25million.

Ayuba further alleged that the Registrar transferred married women who are staff out of the Commission.
He further alleged that the commission forbids staff from unionizing which is against the labuor laws.

“The right to negotiate, the right to respect collective bargaining. Basically, we are saying that you cannot refuse to implement the collective bargaining agreement and respond by transferring Union officials with impunity, including married women from their husbands. That cannot be accepted and that is why we are here.
He has also tried to deploy thugs. We have seen some trying to set fire on our vehicles using fuel. We have captured their pictures and he will be held responsible.We have also exposed the nefarious activities that have been going on here”.

“Car park N250 million, fumigation alone he spent N35 million. He said that he used N70 million to train Directors during COVID-19 and painting of CAC in Wuse, zone 5. The money that is meant for workers salary is what he is using to spend on bogus contracts that does not have direct bearing to the lives of this organisation.
He should come out before Nigerians and defend himself” he said.

Reacting to some of the allegations, the Director, Public Affairs, Corporate Affairs Commission Mr Duke Ukaga who spoke on behalf of the commission said the allegations are false as the Commission is law abiding and is doing everything possible for the betterment of the organization.

On the issue of unionization, He said that the Commission is only obeying the Court judgement and till date, there has been no injunction or stay of execution order.

“The claim that management has refused to allow them unionize freely and are being compelled to join a particular labour union is not true. The Commission, being a very law abiding organisation is obeying the rules of the National Industrial Court, which gave a ruling in December 2019 and May 2020 stating categorically that the union which most of the staff had joined Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), was a junior staff union and not applicable to senior staff. This is in line with the Trade Union Act 2004 and 2005”.

Reacting to issue of transfer, he said “there is a standing rule in the public service about spouses working in the same department and office. For the reorganisation of the organisation, the management might in their wisdom post any staff anywhere. Even in their letters of appointment, it’s stated clearly that their appointment is at the pleasure of the Commission and they may be sent to work in any of the branches. So, for one to say that there have been unjustly sent somewhere, it’s not true”.

On the issue of embezzlement, he strongly refuted the claim saying “Though I’m not into fumigation, we have a standard for fumigation considering the type and size of the building. I can assure you that our management cannot embezzle any government money.