The North Central Citizens Council (NCCC) has strongly condemned the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) for their reckless agitation for an unreasonable increase in the minimum wage of Nigerian workers.
The NCCC leadership described the efforts by the labor unions to force the federal government to succumb to their terms in the negotiation process as inhuman and selfish, arguing that this would adversely affect the common man who doesn’t earn a salary or wage.
The Coordinator of the group, Comrade Mohammed Eneji, stated this in a statement shared with journalists in Abuja.
“If these negotiations for an increase in the minimum wage of workers proceed without considering the adverse effects on ordinary citizens, especially those living in rural areas, the efforts will be counterproductive and useless,” Eneji said.
“Many state governors are still struggling to pay the current minimum wage of 30,000 naira. How, then, can we expect that the governments, both at the state and local levels, will be able to pay a minimum wage of 60,000 naira and above?”
“The labor movement is clearly not prioritizing Nigeria and Nigerians in this negotiation process. As such, the NCCC is demanding that labor unions review and consider the plight of the larger percentage of Nigerians who are not on the government or private sector payroll. This segment of the population constitutes the largest workforce in Nigeria, compared to government employees, who are less than 1% of the entire Nigerian population.”
“We also demand that labor unions be flexible by considering the bigger picture. Their demands will further heighten the inflation rate in the country and increase the unemployment rate, as many multinationals and government agencies at the state level may resort to downsizing personnel due to the inability to pay the new wage.”
“The cumulative effect will exacerbate problems instead of addressing them. Development at the state and local government levels will sharply decline when 60 to 70% of generated revenue is used to pay workers’ salaries, leaving the infrastructure and economy of such states in jeopardy.”
