August 01, (THEWILL) – The Organised Labour under the umbrella of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said it would meet with its members to decide on the planned nationwide protest scheduled for Wednesday, August 2.
Labour made this known on Tuesday, after it met with representatives of the Federal Government.
THEWILL reports that the meeting was a follow-up to the previous one held on Monday, July 31. The parties had adjourned on Monday, to listen to President Bola Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Secretary of the NLC, Emma Ugbaja, said Organised Labour would consult with members whom they represent to reach a consensus on the next course of action before the day ends.
On his part, TUC President, Festus Osifo, also said Organised Labour would consult with members whom they represented to reach a consensus on the next course of action before the day ends.
On measures rolled out by President Bola Tinubu in his national broadcast on Monday evening, Osifo said the Labour unions believed there were significant gaps, and the proposed measures were not far-reaching enough.
Osifo said the unions expressed the need for further action and highlighted that 3,000 buses were inadequate, suggesting that 30,000 to 40,000 buses would be more suitable.
He said: “So, we came here yesterday and we told Nigerians that we’ll be meeting today by 12. So, we came here much later. We had a conversation. Again, the Government team told us that what the President has put on the table is more or less like a starting point, and it’s a baseline.
“So, we, on our path, also said yes that we would not be surprised if that is everything that will be put forward because, for us, we said that there are some gaps. For us, we felt that the President has said that N1 trillion has been saved in the last two months and that what has been proposed is not far-reaching. And that, for us, now, as part of the principle of negotiation, when anything is put on the table, you’ll accept but you’ll push for more. So, on our path, we’ve said that what they have put on the table is not enough and that they can do more.
“Part of what we put forward was that we’ll look at those things that Mr President highlighted and some of the things they have also mentioned.
“We think, for example, that 3000 buses are not sufficient. By the time you divide 3000 by 37, you will see how many they would come up to. So, it’s not sufficient, it’s grossly inadequate. Then we also think that some of the measures put on the table are not far-reaching.
“So, we are also going to demand what we think will do. So, if we think 30,000 or 40,000 buses could do it, in the immediate, yes, we’ll push it forward. So, those were all the conversations that we have had.
“Then on the Government part, you ask something about the protests, yes, they also appealed that we should shelve the protest. Our response was that we are going to go back this evening and also have a conversation around that and you will hear from us at the end of that conversation.
“Yes, so it’s part of what we said. On our path, what we’re demanding was a wage award.
“For example, you have heard some States say they will be paying N40,000 minimum. So, that is more or less what they are giving. It is not the law but they are doing above the minimum wage.
“So, for us, we felt that the Federal Government could do, on their own, so much above the minimum wage without much conversation because the Committee on the minimum wage has not been constituted. We want to be very clear on that. That committee has not been constituted.
“But what we have been advocating for, on the path of labour, is a wage award that doesn’t have much bureaucracy, that you don’t have many issues around the law. Because it’s the law that prescribed minimum wage.”
Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, has expressed hope over the outcome of the meeting.
He described the Organised Labour as a listening organisation that would not go ahead with its planned protests after listening to President Bola Tinubu’s national broadcast to the nation.
“Basically, we laid out the plan and the intervention of the President as you all heard in his broadcast yesterday. We made it clear that this was Mr President’s initial rollout interventions and then the conversations will be ongoing as we go along.
“We indeed appealed to Labour to call off their protests for tomorrow. We’ve found listening ears here and they all accepted that Mr. President’s broadcast was a welcome development and that they’ll go back home to talk to the other leaders.
“So, we’re hopeful that they will do the right thing and not protest tomorrow,” he said.
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