Date: 2019-05-18

The organized labour on Thursday threatened to drag the Federal Government to court if it continued to delay the implementation of the N30, 000 new minimum wage recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Kwara State Comrade, Nasir Kolawole Olumo, handed down the warning in Ilorin while speaking at the quarterly seminar series organised by the Michael Imoudu National Institute For Labour Studies (MINILS), Ilorin.

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, had on inaugurated a committee to negotiate the consequential adjustment in salaries arising from the new national minimum wage. Mustapha, who inaugurated the committee in Abuja, said the gesture was in accordance with President Muhammadu Buhari's remarks at the signing of the new National Minimum Wage Act, 2019.

He said the president had said there would be the constitution of another committee to negotiate the issue of relativity over the new wage with relevant labour unions. Director General, MINILS, Alhaji Saliu Alabi had while responding to questions from participants at the seminar defended the federal government's wisdom to inaugurate the new negotiating committee.

He said the committee was necessary to harmonise the disparity in wages in different establishments and sectors. But Olumoh while making his remarks disagreed with the federal government's position describing it as "a delay tactics".

He said since the president had signed the new wage into law, with a promise to commence it implementation in May, there was no need for another committee. "This is going to be our cause of action in the next few days", he said.

Guest speaker at the seminar and representatives of the internal Labour Organisation (ILO) in Nigeria, David Dorkenoo, had in his presentation urged advocated for uphold the value of democratic culture.

In his paper titled "Building the Union for Tomorrow: Linking Education to Institutional Revitalisation", the ILO experts regretted that lack of "democratic culture", had been responsible for "weak trade" unions in Africa.

Dorkenoo, advocated for more participation of young ones and women in labour movement saying the future of labour movement and trade unions lees n the youths. His views was corroborated by the chairperson, Women Wing of the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) Hajia Asmau Apalando who advocated for more opportunities for women.