Workers’ Union Clarifies Talks On Payment Of N30,000 Minimum Wage

TUC, Ondo State Elects New Excos, Brief Worker On New Minimum Wage Implementation.

The organized labour has debunked talks going round that the Federal Government was not sincere enough to implement the N30,000 new minimum wage.

The President-General of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr Bobboi Kaigama, speaking on Monday in Akure during the fifth Triennial Delegates’ Conference of the Ondo State chapter of the union insisted that the new minimum wage as approved by President Muhammadu Buhari was not a scam.

Naija News recalls that the federal government recently announced that payment of the new minimum wage will kick-start from April 18, 2019, when it was signed into law.

The Guardian reports that the conference saw the appointment of a new state chairman of the union in the person of Com. Helen Odofin e,  Clement Fatuase as his vice,  Soladoye Ekundayo, as Ex-officio; Dayo Adebiyi as State Secretary, Tope Akinsola as Asst Sec and Taimiyu Olufemi as the Treasurer;

Others include; 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 noted that the labour unions and their leaders were not sleeping, adding that organized labour was following developments at the committee to ensure workers were not shortchanged with the new minimum wage table.

His words: “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.

On his part, the immediate ex-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.

The state Governor, 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.

Meanwhile, new Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde had clearly stated last week that he could not afford to pay the N30,000 minimum wage as signed by the President Muhammadu Buhari due to insufficient resources.

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