The Nigeria Labour
Congress, NLC, and the Trade Union Congress, TUC, on Friday in Abuja vowed to
hold the incoming Muhammadu Buhari-led government accountable in respect of his
party’s promises to Nigerians and workers in particular.
Mr. Buhari was elected on
the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The unions made the vow at
the 2015 May Day celebration with the theme: “The Working Class, Democratic
Consolidation and Economic Revival: Charting the Way to National Rebirth’’.
The NLC President,Ayuba
Wabba, urged the incoming administration to revive the Ajaokuta Steel complex,
saying the plant was conceived to be the cornerstone of Nigeria’s industrialization
programme.
“Unfortunately, our political
class has refused to accept the simple truth that no country can truly industrialize
without iron and steel industry.
“The fate of Aladja, Osogbo,
Jos and Katsina steel rolling mills post-
privatization is too grim to recall here,” Mr. Wabba said.
Mr. Wabba advised the government
which is to be inaugurated on May
29, to view development from the prism of tapping into the abundant economic potential
offered by the entrepreneurial drive of Nigerians.
He said that resources
were locked up in the soil and that any country
“subserviently” reliant on importation, was only exporting jobs.
While urging the
president-elect to pay attention to agriculture as it has the capacity to
employ millions of Nigerians, Mr. Wabba said the
government must also lead the way by making farming attractive to
young people through the provision of agricultural inputs, equipment
and other relevant infrastructure.
“There is also the need to
establish a strong linkage between different
sectors of our economy, especially with regard to promoting industrialisation
and manufacturing.
“This will focus on
turning our agricultural products and other
natural resources into quality semi-processed and fully processed
goods.’’
On the issue of
unemployment, he noted that the incoming administration had promised to create
three million jobs yearly.
“Our leadership will take
up all levels of government on their
commitment to job creation and will not relent till we see tangible
results on these scores,” he said.
He noted that the
prevailing economic crunch and the devaluation of the naira has eroded the
purchasing power of the Nigerian worker.
“The National Minimum Wage
of N18, 000 that was negotiated in
2010 is clearly no longer of any meaningful economic value to
workers.
“The five-year circle for
periodic review of the National Minimum
Wage is at hand.
“We wish to use this May
Day celebration to give formal notice
that we shall table a request for a new minimum wage for
consideration soon after the new administration is sworn in,” he
said.
The NLC president advised
state governments and other employers
of labour yet to discharge their obligations under the current
national minimum wage regime to do so immediately as they were
breaking the law by not complying with the provisions of the 2011
National Minimum Wage Act.
On his part, Bobboi
Kaigama, the President of TUC, called the
attention of the incoming government in the areas of economy, national
security, anti-corruption war, national unity and cohesion, among others.
Mr. Kaigama said if the president-elect must succeed, his
administration must be quick to reverse the present ratio between
capital and recurrent expenditure.
“This should be done in
such a way that 60 per cent of our total annual
revenue projections would be dedicated to the enhancement of social
infrastructure and human capital development.’’
He said the incoming
government must fashion out effective ways of
checking the wastage of the resources, curtailing theft in the oil sector,
money laundering, over-invoicing and double-invoicing of contracts, dumping of
foreign goods and excessive borrowing among others.
“We charge the incoming government
to chart long-term goals but focus on the implementation of short-term and medium-term
goals.’’
