Tinubu’s wage committee incompetent – Labour
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday accused the panel set up by President Bola Tinubu to negotiate with organised labour on wage increase of unseriousness, and lacking the capability to handle the assignment.
Speaking after a meeting with Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senate leadership, NLC President, Joe Ajaero said the committee is yet to sit two months after the removal of fuel subsidy in Nigeria.
”Part of our challenge is the issue of the committee put in place. The committee seem not to be capable.
“As labour, we have done with negotiation and engagement with the government from the time of Ekaite, as SGF, Kingibe, Pius Anyim and Boss Mustapha.
“At no time had the Chief of Staff to the president called to negotiate or lead negotiations, and that has delayed the issues.
“Since after our protest, no meeting has been convened, even though the president had promised that he will restructure the mechanism of engagement with government to help things to be treated fast.
“We had agreed on wage award, and up till this moment the committee on wage award is yet to sit.”
Earlier during the meeting, Ajaero lamented plight of Nigerians as a result of removal of fuel subsidy without putting anything on ground to ameliorate the effects.
He told the lawmakers that while Labour leaders were still deliberating on N537 per liter of fuel and Court had ruled for status quo to remain, the government went ahead to raise the price of fuel to N620 per liter.
”Nothing is yet to happen on the issue of $800million projected to be borrowed, we have not perfected the list of the people who will benefit from it .
“We should not follow the record that was used in 2019 because we’ve our doubts on that record, and no indices have been put forward to dictate those that are termed poor.”
In his response, the President of the Senate hailed the Organized Labour for their patience and understanding.
He claimed that the country was broke and has a debt burden of up to N30 trillion.
Akpabio however said that the Senate would work with labour and government to ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians.
