Rather than keep asking for wage increase for its members, organised Labour should engage governments on deliberate policies that will stimulate industrialisation, Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule and Senator Adams Oshiomhole counselled yesterday.
The duo also urged the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) to make its New Minimum Wage demand realistic and affordable.
They gave the advice yesterday while featuring on television programme.
Their counsel followed NLC President Joe Ajaero’s demand for N615, 000 as the acceptable living wage for workers.
President Bola Tinubu, who was represented at May Day anniversary by his deputy Kashim Shettima at the Eagle Square in Abuja, said the Federal Government will soon unveil a new “living wage”.
Hailing workers for their fidelity to peace, progress and development of the country, the President said the tripartite committee on a new minimum wage was unable to reach a consensus at its last meeting before the May Day celebration.
Commending the president for enhancing workers’ welfare, Sule and Oshiomhole described the NLC demand for pay rise as a just cause.
Sule, who said many of the states should be able to pay whatever the federal government comes up with, said he has implemented some welfare policies in his state.
He said: “Let me commend Mr. President for some of the policies he has been unveiling. There’s no state in the nation today, including Nasarawa that can say it has not seen improved revenue.
“Though Nasarawa is number 33 out of 36 states of the federation on revenue allocation, what has happened is that last month we had paid all our medical workers hazard allowance.
“We didn’t have to wait for the federal government. We could do this because of the increased federal allocation.
“In view of inflation, the Nigerian workers deserve more and every state can afford to pay a little more than what we are paying now.
“If we are going to pay more, we are more than willing to implement that.
“If the number I’m seeing on social media on what the federal government is offering is correct, I don’t think there should be any state that should have a serious problem in doing that, to be honest with you.
“I don’t think it is a debatable matter at all. Every state has to look into how it can generate more income. But whatever we can pay has to be something realistic and affordable.
“Let other employers make their offers and justification for such offers.”
Oshiomhole, a one-time NLC president and former Edo governor, agreed with Labour on need for pay rise.
The senator said: “There’s a need to increase the purchasing power of workers. With the inflation rate, the workers’ purchasing power has drastically decreased. Everybody needs the pay rise.
“There’s a shared commitment that wages should go up when prices of things and commodities have gone up.
“All in production sector have marked up to protect themselves from the rising inflation.
“Two, the government is making more money and it is just reasonable that pay should rise.
“The step the government has taken is commendable and it should be paid retroactively. But the speech of the president did not address the announced 35 per cent salary increment.
“The NLC has done the right thing to explain the rationale for its demand for workers and I believe the employers will respond
“Organised private, local, state and federal governments should sit down to work out the details of the agreement.
“What the federal government has done is to relieve the workers while negotiation is still ongoing. This is neither to prejudice the position of the workers nor an alternative.
“But NLC should make realistic and affordable demand. organised Labour should not just centre on minimum wage, it must engage the government on appropriate industrial policies that will enhance the manufacturing industry.
“We need a level of protection of Nigerian industries,” Oshiomhole said.
[TheNation]