Sule, Oshiomhole to Labour: let your demand be realistic
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”.
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.
“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
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.
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.
