Strike looms in health, judiciary, civil service
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has alerted the nation of looming strikes in the health and judiciary sectors as well as civil service over un reviewed wages.
It called on the government and other employers to pay living wages to workers in line with the global trends to address economic challenges.
Speaking with reporters in Lagos, Its President, Ayuba Wabba, lamented that the judiciary, medical and health salary structures, including the core civil service had not been reviewed since 2013, contrary to their agreements for a review in three years.
“There are many sectors and some of them, because they are not allowed to advance their issues, have remained silent, but it is eating them up very deep.
“Out of these is the judiciary. I know, since 2009, the salary and remuneration of the judiciary have not been reviewed. It has been very difficult for them to discharge their responsibilities, without fear or favour and with job satisfaction. Imagine the challenges that have actually affected the economy from 2009 to date, including spiral inflation. If you are earning X amount as of 2009, how do you survive in this situation?
“The medical and health salary structure also was reviewed last in 2009. It is almost 13 years, and they are due for review. The health service structure and other salary structures, including even the core civil service, have not been reviewed. The provision of those agreements provided that every three years those agreements should be reviewed, but nothing has been done up till now.
“I think we should have learnt some lessons from what has happened recently in the tertiary institutions and proactively look at those other sectors that have similar challenges that needed to also be addressed at this point in time.
“I mentioned just a few of them, which was last reviewed in 2009. It is a wake-up call and we must do the needful and act before it is too late. Workers are becoming very restive because the challenges in the economy are affecting every worker that is on fixed wages. It is high time we proactively looked at those issues instead of reacting when unions raise the issues.”
On the need for the cost of living allowance, Wabba said: “I can say without mincing words, if you look at the figures, particularly inflation, unemployment, and the challenge in the social sector, it is clear that our economy is not doing well. Basically, we have no reason for the economy not to do well because we are a country that is well-endowed. Yes, people may say, the challenge is global, but solutions have to be found locally. Many countries around the world are finding solutions locally to respond to global challenges.
“The challenge in the economy and the high-wire inflation trend is a global phenomenon. But every country is responding locally to the challenge. As President of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), which represents not less than 205 million workers in 163 countries, I have visited many countries. The last one was Tunisia where I had the rare privilege of having a one-on- one with the President of Tunisia. From the conversation, I have been able to understand that they responded effectively and increased salary across board by seven per cent.
“Ghana did the same and so the trend globally is a salary review to address the high cost of living, including the cost of living allowance with between seven and 15 per cent. These countries and South Africa have taken steps to respond to the challenges in the economy. They have also made sure that workers do not suffer the consequences of the challenges in the economy. This is what is expected.
“Unions do not need to be shouting, or issuing strike notices if we are on the same page to look at issues and how to respond to them effectively. Workers don’t become slaves and be at the receiving end, if something is not proactively done to address their challenges.’’
The Nation
