Bimbola Oyesola
Workers in Lagos State, yesterday, said they would receive nothing less than N50,000, even as the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) demanded payment of N30,000 national wage by October end.
Addressing workers who gathered in front of the Lagos State House of Assembly after a peaceful march from Ikeja under bridge, NLC Lagos State Chairman, Funmi Sessi, said the special nature of Lagos called for the new demand.
She explained that the fresh demand was coming as part of the workers request to mark the World Day for Decent Work which is celebrated every October 7 worldwide.
The workers had marched through Obafemi Awolowo way to the Alausa Secretariat brandishing placards with inscriptions such as, ‘Employers: Respect workers rights to join union’; ‘We have the right to good wage, decent work’; ‘No to wage poverty, yes to living wage’; ‘Invest in care economy, promote universal health care for children and elderly.’
The NLC chairman insisted that Lagos State workers presently faced more hardship to get to work, hence the reason why N30,000 could no more be acceptable.
“For a simple reason, Lagos is a special state, transportation and house rent are higher and so many hazards on the roads. When you go to work, market, it’s not the same as Ogun State. Rent in Lagos has been increased by 400 percent, transport, 200 percent.
“Our demand is that no junior worker besides the N50,000 minimum wage should go home with less than N15,000 hazard allowance.”
She claimed workers were not well remunerated, noting that things have continued to deteriorate.
“The leaders are only enriching themselves. When Senate and House of Representatives members collected their N30 million and N25 million welcome packages respectively, do you hear any news? But to pay N30,000 minimum wage which took two years to negotiate has become a problem.”
The NLC President Comrade Ayuba Wabba, represented by the Congress Deputy General Secretary, Ismail Bello
Deputy Majority Leader, Olumuyiwa Jimoh and Special Assistant to Lagos State on Civic Engagement, Adebowale Aderemi both assured the workers that their messages would be delivered to the governor.
