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The Trade Union Congress has, on Wednesday, taken a swipe on the federal government over the continuous delay in the implementation of the new minimum wage in the country.
The union who spoke tough through a press statement issues at the end of its Southwest zone quarterly meeting on Wednesday in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, said the union is in total compliance of any decisions that would be taken by the body of organised labour and the joint public service negotiating council.
It would be recalled that, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the new minimum wage into law in April, but has failed to implement same across board till the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile in the press statement which was jointly signed by the Southwest chairman who doubles as the Ogun state chairman of TUC, Com. Olubunmi Fajobi and the secretary of the zone, Com. Helen Odofin ,the union accused the government of moves to confine the Public and civil servants in the country into penury.
The release reads in part, ” We strongly condemn the delay and segmented implementation of the national minimum wage as it is a deliberate act of the government as punitive and decisive measures to further impoverish the hopeless poor of the nation.
“Further, we equally take with pinch of salt, what seems a surreptitious move by the government to confine the country’s civil/ public service into penury especially with the unrealistic proposals of 11.5% and 6.5% increment for grade level 7-14 and 15-17 respectively.
“The approved upward review of the wage in the first instance was not based on random decision on figures rather, the yardsticks employed directly touched on prevailing socio economic realities against the nation’s gross domestic productivity, amongst other essentials of economics. It stands logic on its head therefore, when the authorities choose to via their representatives on the consequential and relativity adjustment committee, act as though the public workers are inconsequential and so be treated”.
The union however threatened to embark on a national industrial action alongside other workers unions if the federal government fails to act fast and begin the implementation of the new minimum wage.
“It must be made abundantly clear that the patience of the labour movement over this issue has been overstretched. It is expedient therefore that the federal government removes it hard stance and act fast to forestall the impeding national industrial action that may negatively impact the yet to fully recover economy. A stitch in time, they say, saves nine “.