» COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE END OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC) OF THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS, JULY 15, 2010
July 18, 2010 COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE END OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC) OF THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS (NLC) HELD ON THURSDAY, JULY 15, 2010 AT THE BABAFUNKE AJASIN AUDITORIUM, MINISTRY OF WOMEN AFFAIRS, AKURE, ONDO STATE. Preamble The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) met at its regular session on July 15, 2010 in Akure. The opening session was addressed by the Ondo State Governor, Dr Olusegun Mimiko and the NLC President, Comrade Abdulwahed Omar. The meeting was convened by the leadership of Congress to deliberate generally on the State of the Labour Movement as well as the Nation and more specifically on issues surrounding Labour’s demand for a new national minimum wage, the new leadership at the Independent National Electoral Commission and the general state of insecurity in the country, among other vital national issues. The NEC-in-Session, after due deliberation, arrived at the following resolutions: A) New National Minimum Wage: (i) NEC took note of the demand by Congress for a new national minimum wage, and reviewed the recommendations of the Tripartite Committee on minimum wage made up of representatives from Federal and State governments, Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) and Labour and chaired by retired Justice Alfa Belgore. NEC also noted that Nigerian workers have exhibited sufficient patience since it began and concluded the campaign for the implementation of a decent wage over a year ago. NEC noted that it has become imperative in the face of current biting economic situation which has made nonsense of the existing wages of workers, that Nigerian workers receive the new national minimum wage without further delay. In this respect, it was resolved that the Executive arm of Government should be communicated to fast track the submission and passage of an amendment to the 2000 National Minimum Wage Act to give effect to the consensus reached by the tripartite minimum wage negotiating committee. NEC resolved that all processes needed for bringing about the new national minimum wage legislation must be completed within two months, after which the Congress will not be in a position to guarantee industrial peace without this issue being fully resolved. (ii) Monetisation: NEC deliberated on the frustrations of workers following hiccups they have continued to witness in the payment of monetisation benefits and expressed its dissatisfaction on the inability of government to smoothly operationalise a major policy it initiated. NEC resolved to call for a definite time frame within which all outstanding payments must be completed to avoid it dragging indefinitely with the attendant risk of recurring industrial action. (iii) NEC-in-session also discussed the proposed abolition of Education Tax and Education Trust Fund and expressed its total opposition to the proposal on the ground that Education Tax and Education Trust Fund were products of the prolong struggle by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other unions in the tertiary education sector; namely NASU and SSANU. NEC notes that the Education Trust Fund and education tax combine to be one of the strongest and viable sources of fund to the education sector in the face of government’s continued indifference to funding educational activities. NEC resolved that Congress is totally opposed to any plan to scrap education tax and the Education Trust Fund because such steps are capable of further deepening the crisis in the education sector. NEC resolved to work with the unions in the sector to prevent the implementation of this retrogressive measure. Electricity Tariff, VAT: NEC-in-session also noted the recent increase in electricity tariffs and expressed its disapproval of the policy and called on government to immediately abolish same as the increment was done unilaterally by government without due consultation of stakeholders in the country. In the same spirit, NEC called on government not to increase Value Added Tax (VAT) as is being contemplated and in view of the agreement it reached with Labour in 2007 that brought to an end a nationwide General Strike over VAT increment among two other issues. B) STATE OF THE NATION: (i) The State of Insecurity: NEC-in-session deliberated extensively on the increasing cases of kidnapping and armed robbery which have combined to impose on the country an atmosphere of general insecurity, fear, anarchy and lawlessness. NEC noted that the prevailing situation has imperilled not only lives but as well freedom of movement, businesses and created negative image for the country in general. NEC-in-session noted that the rate at which kidnapping, in particular, is escalating has the capacity to further weaken the Nigerian economy and create tension that is capable of truncating our democracy. NEC particularly decried and condemned the failure of our security agencies for their inability to quickly resolve the kidnapping of four Comrades from the Lagos Council of NUJ and their driver in Abia State and called on the Federal Government to ensure their freedom without further delay. NEC called on the Federal Government to immediately put in place a security template that will guarantee the security and free movement of people and goods in all parts of the country. NEC also condemned the attitude of our political leadership for exhibiting a high level of indifference to the state of insecurity by the apparent failure to proffer any solution to the breakdown of law and order. NEC criticised the attitude of our leaders for over concentrating on political power and power rotation and not on issues that have immediate and direct impact for the masses and the security of workers. (ii) INEC and Preparation for 2011 General Elections: NEC-in-session reviewed the successes of Congress’ campaign for credible elections and expressed happiness on the appointment of Prof. Attahiru Jega as the new chairman of INEC against the backdrop of the popular mass protests for the removal of Prof. Maurice Iwu. NEC-in-session, however, noted that welcomed as the appointment of Prof Jega is, it does not automatically guarantee credible elections in the face of mounting determination of some anti-democratic elements among the political elite determined to frustrate a free and fair electoral process. NEC-in-session, as a result of this imminent danger, resolved that Congress will consciously engage the new INEC and partner with it to mobilise and enlighten Nigerians for free and fair elections in 2011. To begin this new engagement, NEC directed the leadership of Congress to pay a solidarity visit to Prof. Jega and to explore areas of cooperation with INEC as it prepares for the 2011 general election. NEC-in-session also mandated the leadership of Congress to collaborate with allies and engage in such other campaigns to heighten the political consciousness of Nigerians on the need for free, fair and credible electoral process. In this regard, NEC further mandated the Congress leadership to continue to canvass for the full implementation of the Justice Uwais committee report on electoral reforms, as it is convinced that therein lies a lasting solution to our electoral malady. (iii) Degree/HND Dichotomy: NEC-in-session frowned at the renewed effort by the Federal Government to re-introduce the dichotomy between degree holders and their counterparts with HND. NEC-in-Session feels that the economy will not benefit from this unnecessary distinction and calls for the maintenance of the previous parity position which the government under former President Olusegun Obasanjo had instituted, meant to address the unhelpful dichotomy and which removed the barrier restricting their progression in the civil service. Comrade Abdulwahed Omar Comrade John Odah President General Secretary |
