• For mass
mobilization of workers and the masses for Strike Action
• SPN will pay living
wage and place political office Holders on workers' salaries if elected into
government
The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) welcomes the decision
of the leadership of the labour movement under the three labour centres (NLC,
TUC and ULC) to declare national strike on November 6, 2018, over the failure
of the government and the employers to accede to a modest N30,000 (thirty
thousand naira) as the new national minimum wage.
We also commend the plan to hold a nationwide protest on
October 30 to sensitize the public on the plight of workers and pensioners as
well as the demand for a new minimum wage. This step which could help mobilise
mass support for the strike action is in line with what the SPN has
consistently advocated as part of activities to win the struggle
We in the SPN consider the N30,000 as even too meagre to
meet the needs of Nigerian workers and too much of a concession to greedy
employers for the labour leadership from its original demand of N65,000.
In a country where virtually all social infrastructures and
services have collapsed an average working class family spends its income to
provide social services that ought to be provided by the government. When one considers
the fact that social services like education, healthcare and water supply,
housing etc., have been commercialized and priced out of the reach of an
average working class family, it is obvious that the N30,000 now being demanded
by the labour leadership is too meagre.
N30,000
Minimum Wage is Paltry and so, Affordable
It is however insulting that the employers, represented by
the federal government, state governments and the private sector bosses, are
insisting on paying less than even the meagre N30,000 which the labour centres
are now demanding after climbing down from their initial demand of N65,000. The
argument of lack of funds to pay is treacherous and fraudulent given that the
employers at all levels pay their executives fat salaries at the expense of
workers and the masses. Despite the hoax of lack of funds, the state governors
have not stopped awarding hundreds of millions of naira as security votes,
awarding contracts at hugely inflated sum and maintaining countless number of
political jobbers as appointees, who are paid multiples of what workers earn as
salaries. For instance, a senator's unaccounted running cost of N13,500,000
will pay the monthly salaries of 270 workers on N50,000 minimum wage. If we add
wasteful emoluments of other political officers at executive and legislative
arms across the country and pension to former governors and presidents, it will
be glaring that the excuse of lack of fund is a ruse. In the private sector
too, many employers who employ thousands of workers on precarious conditions,
give themselves several millions as emoluments and bonuses. We are aware of
billions of naira being declared as profits by companies. SPN is demanding that
government at all levels should make official records and financial activities
accessible to all citizens which is an inalienable right and by so doing Nigerians
will know how public funds are utilized.
We call on labour leadership not to limit this strike action
to sit-at-home strike, but to mobilise ranks of workers on mass actions along
with pro-labour civil societies and other oppressed people. There should be mass sensitisation, congresses, rallies, leafleting etc. as a means of winning support for the strike and the demand. Instead of an indefinite strike, we strongly recommend a 48-hour or
72-hour general strike as a starting point, the next step, of a mass campaign
that will not stop until a new minimum wage is granted and implemented across
board without retrenchment of workers. However,
the new minimum wage struggle must also include the demand for settlement of
all unpaid salaries and pension.
REJECT NO
WORK, NO PAY POLICY
We also use this medium to condemn the latest attempt of the
government to criminalize workers' strike through the adoption of 'No-Work,
No-Pay' rule. This policy if allowed will deny workers the power to defend
their rights to better living and improved working conditions. On the other
hand, it will embolden the government at all levels and private sector to
trample on workers' rights and living conditions. It is part of the attempt of
the anti-poor, pro-capitalist governments at all levels to castrate all
opposition to their anti-worker policies. We call on labour leadership to
reject this obnoxious attempt to undermine the ability of workers to defend
their rights.
JOIN SPN
TO RESCUE NIGERIA
For us in the SPN, we believe workers have rights to better
living conditions and better remuneration. If elected into government, SPN will
ensure payment of living wage that will ensure that workers' salaries meet all
economic parameters. Not only this, SPN government will place political office
holders on salaries of civil servant and without security votes or any jumbo
allowance. This, aside saving several billions of naira, will also make
politicians in power to be sensitive to the needs of the working people. Public
works will be well equipped and run democratically under a workers’ control
such that they can carry out all categories of projects at a fraction of
prevailing costs paid to private contractors and also help end the current
fraudulent contract system. All the savings from outrageous pays and allowances
of political office holders as well as inflated contracts will form part of the
resources the SPN will mobilise to massively invest in social services and
infrastructures, which will ensure provision of free and quality education and
healthcare at all levels, affordable housing etc. All of these alongside with a
collective ownership and democratic management of key sectors of the economy
under a socialist plan will ensure that workers' salaries are able to meet
their needs. We call on workers, youth and the masses to join the SPN today.
