Minimum wage: FG can’t cheat workers – Labour

The organised labour has dismissed insinuations that the Federal Government was not sincere enough to implement the new minimum wage of N30,000.

The President-General of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr Bobboi Kaigama, said this on Monday in Akure during the fifth Triennial Delegates’ Conference of the Ondo State chapter of the union where Com. Helen Odofin emerged the new State Chairman.

Kaigama insisted that the new minimum wage as approved by President Muhammadu Buhari was not a scam.

Other newly elected officers included Clement Fatuase – Vice Chairman; Soladoye Ekundayo -Ex-officio; Dayo Adebiyi -State Secretary; Tope Akinsola – Asst Sec; Taimiyu Olufemi – Treasurer;

Others are; Ikechukwu Nneke – Fin Sec; Femi Owolabi -PRO; Olusegun Akinbolasere -Auditor I; Makinde Ayesoro – Chairman.

Swearing-in the new officers, Kaigama who was represented by the Secretary-General of TUC, Mr Musa Lawal, noted that a presidential technical committee to work out new salary templates had been set up and expected to submit its report next week.

Kaigama explained that labour unions and their leaders were not sleeping.

The TUC president assured that organised labour was following developments at the committee to ensure workers were not shortchanged with the new minimum wage table.

“No no no, we are not sleeping, the battle for the minimum wage is very straight and we are not sleeping on it, what we are currently doing is to create a template.

“And that is why we are trying to appeal to those that are receiving more than N30,000, is not something you do by magic, it’s technical and that is why we (government and labour) set-up (Presidential) technical committee to look into the matter.

“We don’t believe government can scam the workers because I believe in the welfare of everybody and I don’t have doubt in President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration either to scam or not,” he said.

The outgone State Chairman of TUC, Mr Soladoye Ekundayo, advised the new executive members to make judicious use of their time and energies by attending to issues that affect workers.

Odofin, the new TUC chairman, in her acceptance speech, said: “the Congress and its teeming members have at this time asked me to take lead in the struggle for workers welfare and I have accepted”.

The Ondo state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Sunday Adeleye, said labour unions in the state would start negotiations on the new minimum wage as soon as the federal government comes up with an acceptable template.

Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, represented by his Special Adviser, Mr Alaba Isijola reiterated his administration’s determination to improve on the welfare of workers.

Akeredolu reassured that the state government would implement the new minimum wage whenever an agreeable template was released.