THE FORTHCOMING AVOIDABLE STRIKE

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have said that their planned three day warning strike for Wednesday, 20^th July, 2011 will go ahead, in spite of the invitation to meet with the Federal Government and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to discuss the implementation of the National Minimum Wage of N18, 000 which was signed into law last March by President Jonathan. The two Unions have said they will not call off the strike because they suspect that the invitations are a ploy to scuttle the strike. They pointed out that no payment arrangement has been made public by either the Federal Government or the Governors’ Forum to give them the assurance that payment, including arrears will commence. The Unions insist that the three day warning strike will be a prelude to an indefinite strike if all governments fail to commit themselves to acceptable programmed payment arrangements.

          The Unions say they suspect that the Federal Government and the Governor’s Forum are trying to demobilize the planned strikes by buying time. They say they have fully mobilised their members for the warning strike, and they have done this only after it became obvious that many governments will continue to dodge their legal obligations to pay the minimum wage. According to the Union, they gave governments all the time to pay the minimum wage, and will therefore not stand down on the warning strike one day before commencement. They insist that as from 12 midnight on Tuesday, July 20^th, they will shut down the country, and further advised the public to stock up on food and other essentials.

          If the warning strike by the NLC and the T.U.C does go ahead, Nigerians will hold the Federal and State Governments entirely responsible. The governments have had every opportunity to make inputs into the National Minimum Wage, from being members and facilitators of the Committee set up under Justice Alfa Belgore to advise government; to the considerations of the Committee’s recommendations; to the lobby of the legislature when it was considering legislation on the Minimum Wage, and through the many other avenues they have to influence the process. The approved and legislated N18, 000 minimum wages is not beyond any government in Nigeria to pay. Even if it will involve some adjustments in expenditure and plans, it is no longer a matter of choice, since it is the law. Governments which are refusing to pay, or attempting to buy time before implementing; or finding excuses for not paying are therefore in breach of the law, and are showing unpardonable contempt for public opinion.

          Most of the Governors’ who are making a case for re-negotiating the Minimum Wage, or choosing when to pay have just come through an election in which they spent billions of Naira. Workers represent a critical segment of the electorate from whom they sought for support; and they will continue to be the major vehicle for the execution of their policies and programmes. They have no legal or moral basis for refusing to pay the Minimum wage, and the public will not show sympathy to leaders who earn huge amounts and have massive powers to dispense with large quantities of public funds to secure themselves in power. On the contrary, workers who have a right to a minimum wage prescribed by law will have the public on their side, in a country where the cost of securing just the basic necessities of life is becoming less and les affordable.

          The Nigerian Public will not be impressed with arguments by State Governments that payments of the Minimum Wage will be contingent on a review of the revenue allocation formula in such a way that State Governments will receive more, so they can pay workers a minimum of N18, 000. Nor will the public support the reduction in the size of the public service just so that governments will pay the wage. Similarly, threats to cut back on essential   services as the price for paying the minimum wage will not meet with sympathy, in a situation where State Governments are generally operating on declining levels of efficiency and impact on the lives of citizens.

          Without a doubt, Nigerians are paying much more than they should as a cost of governance. We have too much government, both in terms of having three tiers with many branches, but also in terms of having huge bureaucracies, in relation to their values in our lives and output. But this is not the basis for making an argument against the payment of the new National Minimum Wage. One problem with Nigeria is that in the public service there are very few people who earn too much, and too many people who earn too little. The problem will not be solved by depriving those who earn too little of what they deserve, while those who earn too much keep their own. We have to find an opportunity and a time to re-assess the entire remuneration structure in the Nigerian Public Service. In the meantime, the Federal and State Governments should immediately announce an unconditional acceptance to pay the National Minimum Wage, and save Nigerians additional and avoidable hardship.