LABOUR SHOULD MOBILISE WORKERS FOR A
ONE-DAY WARNING GENERAL STRIKE AND MASS PROTEST
SPN DEMANDS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF
N30, 000 MINIMUM WAGE FOR ALL PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR WORKERS AND WITHOUT
RETRENCHMENT
The Socialist Party of Nigeria (SPN) condemns the federal
government’s poor handling of the minimum wage implementation. President Buhari’s
administration’s continuous delay in the implementation of the N30, 000 minimum
wage has demonstrated insincerity of the government. The SPN thereby declares
its solidarity and support for Nigerian workers on the implementation of the
N30, 000 minimum wage law. We demand that this must be paid to all workers both
in public and private sector and without retrenchment.
In particular, we condemn the recent declaration of the
Buhari government that it would henceforth unilaterally commence payment of N30,
000 minimum wage to workers on level 7 and below, while negotiation on
consequential adjustment, has not been concluded as a dishonest manoeuvre by
the Buhari regime to arm-twist the labour movement in order to short-change
workers. This is being presented as a decision taken in order to ensure that
workers on these grade levels begin to enjoy the new minimum wage when in
reality it is an attempt to carry through the same kind of implementation of
the N18, 000 minimum wage in 2011 in which workers were short changed and
underpaid by both the Federal and State Governments. We therefore urge Nigerian
workers not to be deceived.
We therefore ask the Buhari government: On what template do
you base the N30, 000 minimum wage you want to pay to workers on level 7 and
below when the ongoing negotiation over the details of adjustment for all
categories and levels of the workforce has not been concluded? What would be
the basic wage and what would be the allowances constituting the total wage
package of workers on level 7 and below including the adjustment for the
various steps in between these wage levels? We are challenging the Buhari
government with these questions and we demand urgent answers to them. If the
government is confident that it has no hidden agenda, we challenge it to
publish the details of the new structure or template on the basis of which it
intends to commence the implementation of the N30, 000.
This provocative manoeuvre of the Buhari regime clearly shows
that labour’s approach so far of negotiating with the oppressor without putting
its army (the workers) on a “war-footing” is inadequate. While negotiations are
important, regular mobilisation of members through congresses, mass meetings,
symposia and rallies are important to ensure that they are battle ready.
We hereby call on the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade
Union Congress (TUC) and United Labour Congress (ULC) to immediately convene a
joint meeting to deliberate and agree on a one-day warning general strike and
nationwide mass protest in order to warn the federal government, and the state
governments waiting in the rear, that Nigerian workers demand immediate
implementation of the full value of the N30, 000 minimum wage without
retrenchment. The mobilisation for this kind of general strike has to be well
planned and seriously implemented in order to avoid repeating the fiasco of the
May 2016 general strike.
The current stalemate between the federal government and the
Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JPSNC) over the percentage
increment is expected as every capitalist government will deny workers
meaningful increment let alone paying living wage.
The N30,000 minimum wage should be implemented for all
workers in private sectors as well. For the implementation of N30, 000 Minimum
Wage to have any serious impact in the private sector, the trade union leaders
must lead a struggle to end casualisation and outsourcing policy that is
prevalent in private employment. At least70% of workers in private sector have
casual and insecure employment status. They are poorly paid and do not benefit
from the national minimum wage increments neither do enjoy the right to join or
form a trade union.
We call on Nigerian workers and their leadership not be
carried away by government’s blackmail of a depleted treasury, on which basis
it is seeking to employ voodoo-mathematics in the application of the new wage
increase across all levels. The salaries and allowances of political
office-holders, especially members of the local governments, state house of
assemblies, national assemblies as well as the executives at the state and
federal level are scandalously high and should be reduced to the salaries and
allowances of skilled civil servant; the wasteful and fraudulent contracts
system by which roads and other projects are carried out should be eradicated
and replaced with democratically managed public works and by these means huge
resources can be saved and utilised for public interest. This if linked with
the nationalisation of the key sectors of the economy under democratic workers
control and management can ensure that more than enough is available to
guarantee a living wage in order to raise the living standards of workers and
their families.
As an important lesson that should not be lost on the labour
movement, and especially its leadership, the Nigerian government would not
easily yield to labour’s demands unless it is pressurised. It was partly
electoral pressure and fear of defeat as well as workers’ protest that led to
this year’s minimum wage legislation, but now that elections are not in view,
workers must be ready to take to the trenches to enforce N30, 000 Minimum Wage.
The present manoeuvring of the federal government is traceable to the feeble
resistance that greeted the unpaid arrears of wages across states of the
federation and the prevarication of labour leadership in the present struggle.
It is our belief that the Nigerian ruling class has left no doubt about where
it stands in matters of public policy that could change the lives of the masses;
it always take the sides of big business billionaires and the politicians, and
defends vigorously the privileges of this class. Employers of labour in a
capitalist society resist any improvement in wage because that reduces the
profit and privileges of top political office holders and private employers.
The labour leadership has to face the reality of the class
struggle in the country. As a party we do not doubt the inherent capacity of
the labour movement to actualise the implementation of the N30, 000 Minimum
Wage in both public and private sectors if it is prepared to take the road of
mass struggle.
Abiodun Bamigboye
Acting National Chairperson
Chinedu Bosah
National Secretary
