Aborted strike: Why FG surrendered to Labour

Posted by admin Headlines Thursday, July 21st, 2011

MORE facts have emerged as to why the Federal Government, Tuesday, night yielded to Labour’s demand to pay all civil servants from level 01 – 17 contrary to earlier position that only core civil servants from levels 01-06 would benefit from the N18,000 new minimum wage.

The Federal Government had Monday, told the leaders of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, that it only budgeted for the payment of levels 01-06 and pleaded with them that levels 07-17 would be paid in January, 2012.

Besides, the government said workers in its parastatals and agencies would not benefit from the new wage package.

Frightening security reports

However, Vanguard investigations revealed that frightening security reports across the country, pressure from senior citizens and respected Nigerians and groups and fear over the nation’s fragile economy forced the government to surrender to Labour.

According to Vanguard’s sources, government felt that the consequence outweighed the cost of paying the N18,000 minimum wage .

Inaugural Federal Executive Council (FEC) Meeting Wednesday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Governors especially those from the North were said to have suddenly made a u-turn and pushed for agreement.
Some of the governors were said to have confided in their colleagues that they did not want to incur the wrath of their subjects.

According to a highly placed source, “at the beginning, government thought labour was bluffing. Government officials misunderstood the leadership style of the current leaders of labour. They thought they could not bite. But when security reports across the country turned in alarming level of mobilization that could compound the security challenges in the country, the government had no other choice than to cave in.

Besides, many respected senior citizens and groups called severally and sent emissaries to government, advising that a strike at this time is not what the country needs. Intelligent reports on the economy indicated that it would be difficult for it to withstand such a national strike without a long lasting effect.

Some of the reports indicated that oil workers were bent on shutting down both the upstream and downstream sectors of the petroleum industry. The seaports, airspace, the financial sector, power and others were also to be shut down. No economy that is struggling to survive can withstand that.”

Last Monday, umbrella body for private sector employers in the country; Nigeria Employers Consultative Association, NECA, had warned against the strike, describing what may be lost to the impending strike as “colossal”, arguing that it was “unnecessary to shut down the entire economy on an issue that now concerns public sector workers who constitute just about two per cent of the national workforce.”

It called on the government to respect the nation’s law and implement the wage, warning that any national strike at this time would further cripple the nation’s fragile economy.

FG, Labour agreement that aborted the strike

The six-point agreement between the Federal Government and organized labour, that aborted the strike read:
“The Federal Government agrees to comply with the New National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2011. The Federal Government shall conclude negotiations with Labour on the implementation of the New National Minimum Wage not later than 31st July, 2011.

Detailed negotiations on the relativity implication(s) of the implementation of the New National Minimum Wage Act, 2011 will be concluded not later than 31st July, 2011. The new wages will be implemented with effect from 1st August 2011. The arrears of the new wage with effect from 23rd March 2011 will be paid not later than 31st August, 2011. No worker shall be victimized in any manner or form as a consequence of the implementation of the New National Minimum Wage.

In line with the Agreement earlier reached with the Federal Government and State Governors, Labour resolves to suspend the 3-day warning strike across the country.

Governors, Labour’s pact

Earlier the same day, the Governors’ Forum and Labour’s agreement states:
“The 36 States of the Federation agree to comply with the new National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act, 2011; The State shall conclude negotiations with Labour on the implementation of the new minimum wage not later than July 31, 2011; Detailed negotiations on salary across board will be done with a view to effecting payments by August 2011, while modalities for payment of the minimum wage will be worked out according to the peculiarities of each state.

The 36 States agree that the effective date for the implementation of the new minimum wage shall not be later than 1st August 2011 provided that any worker who earned less than the =N18,000 between 1st April and the effective date of the implementation of the new minimum wage shall be paid arrears of the difference.

The time frame for the payment of the arrears of the difference of the new minimum wage effective April 1, 2011 shall not be later than October, 2011. No State shall victimize any worker in any manner or form as a consequence of the implementation of the new minimum wage. In the face of the commitment by the governors, Labour resolves to suspend the 3-day warning strike called for this week in the states.

CNPP commends labour, cautions gov

Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has commended the organized labour for its insistence that the government at all levels in Nigeria should implement the N18, 000 minimum wage for workers but urged the unions not to allow the government take Nigerians back to the Obasanjo era.

The Secretary-General of CNPP, Chief Willy Ezugwu said the stand taken by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has helped Nigerian workers to hold the government to its words.

A statement by Chief Ezugwu said “It is unfortunate that the President Goodluck Jonathan led Federal Government was trying to pull a fast one on the populace after initially agreeing to the new wage as a means of getting populist support in the run up to the general elections. We however want to caution the government not to engage in any more mischief as far as the minimum wage issue is concerned.”

-Vanguardwp_posts