The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says it has proposed a wage award to the Federal Government to cushion the effects of petrol subsidy removal on workers and Nigerians.
\nJoe Ajaero, NLC President, said this on Wednesday at the ongoing 111th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC) in Geneva, Switzerland.
\nMr Ajaero said the proposal was part of the agreement reached with the government during the negotiation on the removal of fuel subsidy.
\nAccording to him, he said the agreement NLC had with the government was not minimum wage. \u201cThe agreement we had with them is wage award, and it must be understood clearly,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cWe have proposed to them a wage award, which could be implemented immediately without waiting for the statutory period for the minimum wage law or for it to expire.
\n\u201cWhat we are going to do is to look at the rate at which this wage award will be, whether it will be N100,000 or N20,000.
\n\u201cThis will not stop the review of the minimum wage, which will be due by early next year. It is good we draw this demarcation.
\n\u201cWe will ensure to review minimum wage statutorily because they have taken action by removing subsidy without providing anything. That is why they are talking about minimum wage\u2019\u2019 he said.
\nAccording to him, early this year, the federal government awarded some of their workers a kind of wage award of about 40 per cent that has nothing to do with minimum wage to cushion the effects of COVID-19 and others.
\n\u201cNow that we are having the effect of this subsidy removal, we will look at an award that will cushion it.
\n\u201cIn this country, even in the 70s, we had the Udoji award and others. So, that is the purpose, whatever we are going to come up with at our next meeting with government, but not minimum wage,\u2019\u2019 he said.
\nHe disclosed that some state governors were yet to abide by the National Minimum Wage Act as they could not pay the N30,000 minimum wage.
\nSpeaking on the forthcoming meeting between labour and the government, Mr Ajaero said the meeting of 19 June is to give life to the agreement earlier signed with the government on fuel subsidy removal.
\nH said it would also include having some technical committee to give life to implementing that agreement.
\n\u201cWe did not even want to go into the politics of subsidy because we knew that as far as NLC is concerned, we do not know the people receiving the subsidy.
\nSpeaking on the forthcoming meeting between labour and the government, Mr Ajaero said the meeting of 19 June is to give life to the agreement earlier signed with the government on fuel subsidy removal.
\nH said it would also include having some technical committee to give life to implementing that agreement.
\n\u201cWe did not even want to go into the politics of subsidy because we knew that as far as NLC is concerned, we do not know the people receiving the subsidy.
\n\u201cWe do not know people importing and exporting. So, it is exclusive to them.
\n\u201cBut we have asked them to investigate the subsidy regime because it is not enough to say subsidy it is gone and we cover it up. Let us know those involved; let us know what they did or what they are doing.
\nMr Ajaero said the meeting also discussed the issue of modular refineries, just like in some states, which has brought diesel prices down.
\n\u201cThere are areas in Akwa Ibom today where diesel sells about N300 or N400 from modular refinery there. While we buy diesel in Lagos and Abuja for N800, they buy between N300 and N400.
\n\u201cSo, if you have all these modular refineries, it will bring down the cost.
\n\u201cAnd we have all insisted that the Warri and the Port Harcourt refineries that they have awarded contracts must be concluded as soon as possible.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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