Following global rise in inflation, the Federal Government has disclosed ongoing plans to raise workers’ mini- Rising Inflation: FG plans upward review of workers’ salaries mum wage above N30,000 which, it noted, could not pay workers’ fare to work for a month in the present economic reality. Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen Chris Ngige, who gave the hint yesterday in Abuja at the public presentation of at 40 publication by Nigeria Labour Congress( NLC) entitledContemporary History of Working Class Struggles, also noted that government’s policy on ‘no work, no pay’ may stand. He said: “If you don’t work, you won’t eat. Labour providestherichesof anynation as well as the prosperity of every family. “The inflation is worldwide, we shall adjust the minimum wage in conformitywithwhatishappening; and much more important, the 2019 Minimum Wage Act has a new clause for a review. “That adjustment has started with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), because the stage they are with their primary employers, the Ministry of Education, isaCollectiveBargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiation. “Under the principles of offer and acceptance, which is that of Collective Bargaining, ASUU can say let’s look at the offer they gave us and make counter offer, but they have not done that. If they done that, we are bound to look at their offer; these are the ingredients of collective negotiations.’” President, Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, challenged government to recognise the power of agreement, noting that if not for the struggle of the founding fathers of the movement in the country, the story would have been different today. Meanwhile, the former president of NLC, Adams Oshiomhole, charged the labour movement to question candidates for the presidency in the 2023 elections on their economic policies and platforms. “Nothing can be more humiliating for you as workers than someone who is elected on your platform is the one taking position that is completely in conflict with what you stand for. “And that is why I invite all of us to look carefully. Even I have told APC candidates. If you pursue absolute market forces, you don’t have me on your side because what brought us to this situation, talking about history, we must document the characters of government we interface with. “So if you say you do not want market forces, say so now to those who want to be president. I want you to use moment to know that there is no such thing as a good person in government or a bad person; Or a short person and a tall person. What will determine your fate is the policy choices that those in government, consciously take,” he said.
