The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has announced plans to commence a National industrial action on March 10, to the National Assembly following an attempt by the Legislators to move the National Minimum Wage from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent Legislative List.
The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, gave the hint in a Communiqué issued at the end of its emergency National Executive Council (NEC), meeting in Abuja.
Wabba explained that the protest is to make a strong statement that Nigerian workers would not lie low and watch hard-fought rights which are of global standards “bastardized” by politicians.
He said that the decision followed careful consideration of the issues before it especially in the light of their implications to the working-class family and the masses of Nigerian people.
Explaining further, Wabba said that the national protest action will be held concurrently in all the 36 states of the federation and to the different State Houses of Assembly across Nigeria.
“The National Executive Council of the NLC considered three major issues during its emergency meeting. The issues are the move by a section of Nigeria’s political class to move the national minimum wage from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List; the ploy to establish state judiciary councils through constitution amendment, and the prevailing hoarding of the Premium Motor Spirit also known of ‘petrol’ by petrol marketers in major cities of Nigeria.
“The NEC resolved that there will be a national protest action commencing from March 10, in the Federal Capital Territory and especially to the National Assembly.
“The NEC decided that should the need arise; it has empowered the National Administrative Council NAC of the NLC to declare and enforce a national strike action especially if the legislators continue on the ruinous path of moving the National Minimum Wage from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List”, it added.
It also condemned and rejected in its entirety the move to decentralize Nigeria’s judiciary through the establishment of State Judicial Councils, describing the move as unpatriotic, self-serving and an attempt to throw Nigeria into judicial and social chaos.
On what it called the current hoarding of petrol and the attendant scarcity, the NEC called on relevant regulatory agencies of government to rise to the protection of the interests of the majority of Nigerians from the exploitative hands of market forces who are bent on making maximal profits from the sufferings of fellow citizens.
The NEC further warned that should the current artificial scarcity persist, the various leadership structures of the NLC would picket petrol stations found to be inflicting pains on Nigerians.
Also, the NEC resolved that all the resolutions and decisions adopted at the emergency meeting should be pursued in collaboration with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in the overall interest of all Nigerian workers.
Zainab Sa’id
