Minimum Wage Delay: Labour Urged to Declare Nationwide Strike.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have been urged by the Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) to mobilize for a nationwide strike over the delayed minimum wage and recent electricity tariff hikes.
CDWR emphasized the need for a 48-hour general strike and mass protest to demand a minimum wage of at least N200,000 and the reversal of various anti-poor policies such as privatization, deregulation, and subsidy removal.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Bosah, CDWR highlighted the prolonged deadlock in negotiations over the minimum wage, which has lasted over three weeks. The government and private sector’s insistence on a N60,000 minimum wage prompted an indefinite strike that began on June 3, 2024, but was suspended the following day.
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Bosah criticized the labour leadership for not having a contingency plan should the government fail to meet their demands. He noted that many principal leaders left for International Labour Organisation (ILO) meetings in Switzerland, neglecting to mobilize support for the ongoing struggle.
“The strike organized on June 3, 2024, was the most effective and widely supported since 2016. Major sectors of the economy were shut down, including sea ports, airports, and electricity. However, instead of building on this momentum, labour leaders have again gone to sleep, giving the capitalist ruling elite more time to maneuver and recover,” Bosah said.
He underscored the dire economic situation, with an inflation rate of 33.95 percent and skyrocketing costs of living. The prices of basic necessities have soared, making it difficult for families to afford adequate food, education, healthcare, and housing.
Bosah also criticized government representatives and commentators who argue against a living wage, pointing out the extravagant spending by politicians and top management staff, which contributes to the economic crisis.
“The main reason the Nigerian economy is in bad shape is due to the exploitative capitalist system and the massive looting by the ruling class. Working people are made to pay for the economic crises through low wages, higher taxes, and other anti-people policies,” he added.
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CDWR called for the inclusion of a demand that the minimum wage be automatically adjusted in line with inflation and the cost of living to prevent future delays in wage adjustments.
The organization also urged the labour movement to build a pan-Nigerian democratic and working people’s political party with a socialist programme to defeat the self-serving capitalist ruling elite and plan the economy for the benefit of the majority.
