Labour Issues Seven List Demands, Want Creation of State Police

As the workers day celebration draws near, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has listed seven demands from the Federal Government even as the body demands for state and local government policing in the country.

The state policing according to them would aid tackle the fallout of insecurity in the country.

The Congress also stressed that both government and private agencies must comply with the new minimum wage when it is eventually approved.

International Workers’ Day, also known as Labour Day in some countries and often called May Day, is a celebration of the working class, and is marked annually on May 1, or the first Monday in May.

Rocketparrot reported that the congress had earlier in the month pegged the new minimum wage at N615,000 per month.

A member of the National Executive Council of the Trade Union Congress who pleaded anonymity said, “We are going to have another round of serious conversations with the government. The N30,000 subsisting minimum wage expired three days ago, as its five-year lifespan ended on April 18.”

The Nigeria Labour Congress’ National Treasurer, Hakeem Ambali, listed seven demands the congress had made from the federal and state governments.

He said, “First, we expect that there should be improved labour government industrial relations, full implementation of minimum wage across the board for the federal, state, local government and private sector workers.

“Settlement of pension arrears, the establishment of compressed natural gas conversion centers in all senatorial districts, fixing of Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries.

Meanwhile, a former two-term president of the TUC and one-time president of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria, Peter Esele, had warned against the arbitrary fixing of a new minimum wage.

Esele noted that the Federal Government and organised labour should agree on a new minimum wage before it is announced by the president on Workers’ Day to avoid another round of protests and strikes.

“So my expectation for the labour unions is to put what they want on the table, while the Federal Government also puts theirs on the table to avoid another round of industrial unrest.”