*As Akwa Ibom records full compliance
By Ime Silas, Uyo
Members of the Organized Labour on Monday, June 3, 2024, barricaded the Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat in Uyo and other government agencies in compliance with the nationwide indefinite Strike action called for by the Joint National leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).
The State leadership and members of the joint Labour Movement who were seen chanting solidarity songs at the main entrance to the State Secretariat, are demanding immediate putting in place of the New Minimum Wage which they termed ‘New Living Wage’ by the federal government.
Addressing newsmen on the sidelines of their peaceful demonstration, Chairman of the NLC, Akwa Ibom State branch, Comrade Sunny James noted that the strike action would not be called off until the federal government met their demands.
The Labour Leader said “We’re here at Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat being the Secretariat that houses all the ministries in Akwa Ibom State. It is no more news that the organized Labour are on strike bordering on the new minimum Wage. From the 18th of April, the Nigerian workers do not have any legislation bordering on their minimum Wage.
And therefore, it is also important that the federal government does everything possible and quickly too, to get the minimum Wage negotiated and concluded so that the National Assembly can legislate upon it”.
Answering questions on why the Labour Movement chose to embark on strike action while the Committee set up by government for the minimum Wage issue were still on course, Comrade Sunny noted “It is on the basis of the dragging from the 20th of January when the minimum Wage tripartite Committee was inaugurated till today, the 3rd day in the month of June, they have not been able to conclude their dealings on ensuring that we have a new minimum Wage, that the organized Labour have decided to call the Federal government to account to give us a new minimum Wage.
That is the reason the NLC and TUC have gathered nationwide in their numbers to call the Federal Government to quickly put in place a new minimum Wage”
On the increase of electricity tariff by the federal government, the Chairman hinted “The second point why we are here is that we sat a month ago and saw how the federal government unilaterally increased electricity tariff of whatever they call ‘band A’. It translates to high tariff rates for workers and citizens.
You cannot expect that you wanted to increase the electricity tariff and you moved it from N65 per kilowatt to N225 per kilowatt. It is not acceptable. You cannot bring this hardship, considering the economic realities. This is electricity that people don’t even have. How would we pay for darkness? That is even the cries of the Nigerian workers and citizens”.
Also speaking, the State Chairman of TUC, Comrade Dominic Abang revealed that economy of the entire nation you’ve grounded in the coming days should the government failed to live up to their demands.
He questioned how a government could allocate billions of Naira to politicians, while abandoning the Nigerian workers to wallow in penury.
Others who presented solidarity messages included leaders and members of of affiliated Labour unions in the State.