 |
|
May Day
celebration in Abuja
|
Nigerian
have workers appealed to the incoming government of Muhammadu Buhari to devise
a means of improving the welfare of workers so as to engender industrial
harmony. Speaking
with NAN in separate interviews in Abuja on Friday, the respondents decried the
fact the minimum wage still remained N18, 000 despite the harsh economic
condition in the country. They
were speaking after the May Day celebration in the Federal Capital. They
advised the incoming government to institute an automatic minimum wage review
mechanism in line with realities.
NAN reports:
Bala
Hadi, national president of the Parliamentary Staff Association of Nigeria
(PASAN), advised the government to take the welfare of workers more seriously in
order to win their support.
He
expressed displeasure government workers had not received their April salary,
even as the May day was being celebrated.
“You
can see that workers are out in large numbers to celebrate May Day, but it is
regrettable that most government workers have not received their April salary,
and this is not acceptable,” Hadi said.
“Already,
the welfare of Nigerian workers is very poor when compared to their
contribution to nation-building; they are grossly underpaid.’’
He
said that the N18,000 minimum wage was long overdue for an upward review and
advised the incoming government to address the issue.
“The
minimum wage of N18,000 is long overdue for review and since the present
government will soon leave office, I advise the new government to do that as a
matter of urgency.
“The
new government should initiate a living wage to ensure that workers are able to
meet their personal needs and those of their family members.
“Our
expectation is that the government will initiate a mechanism to ensure an
automatic, periodic review of salaries so that distractions like strikes can be
avoided.”
Julius
Ada, a member of the Construction Workers’ Union, advised the government to
improve the plight of construction workers in the country.
He
complained that most construction companies were being controlled by foreigners
who do not treat their Nigerian counterparts as equals.
“We
really need government support in the construction industry so as to create a
level playing field for Nigerian construction workers,” he said.
“We
also need government intervention to help boost the construction industry so
that construction workers can enjoy sustainable employment.”
Workers’ Day: Ekwunife, Melaye Want
Improved Welfare For Workers
As
Nigeria marks Workers’ Day, two new senators have called for improved welfare
for workers so as to enhance their productivity, the News Agency of Nigeria
(NAN) reports.
The
senators-elect, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on
Friday, said that a happy workforce would ensure a prosperous nation.
Sen.
Uche Ekwunife, Senator-elect to represent Anambra Central (PDP), noted that if
the nation could have a productive workforce, then Nigeria could move forward.
“There
must be a mechanism to ensure that people do what they are supposed to do; if
the civil service is not productive, nothing else will work.
“The
way private sector works let us apply the same attitude to civil service so
that people in the public office can do better.
“Let
us all go and work for Nigeria so that Nigeria can be a better place,“ she
said.
While
wishing all Nigerian workers a happy celebration, she urged them to be
committed to their duties so that their salaries could be justified.
Dino
Melaye, Senator-elect to represent Kogi-West (APC), said that the civil service
in Nigeria was in dire need of reforms.
Melaye
said that the Nigerian worker has not been treated well over time, adding that
such anomaly ought to be addressed.
“But
the workers themselves are part of the problem because there seems to be a
satanic collaboration between the legislature, executive and the labour force.
“Most
times, corruption in the civil service is responsible for the dilapidated roads
we have, the poor quality and standards of our schools, responsible for our
poor health facilities.
“The
fight against corruption must be taken seriously first by the labour force and
the civil service in this country and we can then begin to move forward,” he
said.
He called on workers to be
hard working so that Nigeria as a nation would witness real growth in all
sectors of the economy.
No comments:
Post a Comment