ABUJA—Even as Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has insisted on commencing its planned industrial action today over refusal by the Federal Government to pay the N18, 000 national minimum wage, the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, is appealing to the umbrella body of workers to shelve the action in the interest of the nation.
The party said the planned nationwide industrial action would worsen the economic predicament of the country.
APGA in statement by its Director of Publicity, Mr, Ifeanacho Ogejiofor, said it appreciated the NLC view on the need for pay rise and appropriate minimum wage for its members and Nigeria workers, but urged the NLC to still embrace more consultations and dialogue with the executive arm and other relevant government agencies for amicable resolution of the lingering crisis.
Mr. Ogejiofor further quoted the party’s National Secretary, Dr. Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, as calling on the Federal Government to urgently speed up the bureaucratic process of implementing the minimum wage increase.
Dr. Shinkafi said: “The strike will ultimately have a severe, drastic, harsh and serious negative economic effects on the Nigerian masses, who are already deprived, oppressed and down-trodden, who drudgery eke out a living, on their everyday economic activities.”
According to him, “moreover, the planned strike will equally worsen the economic predicament of our dear country, which is already in a sheer bad state, that needs urgent, instant, comprehensive, well marshalled out plan of intervention and resuscitation for its survival.
He said, NLC, instead of embarking on the strike action, should, embrace dialogue and negotiations in the over all interest of the nation, because the intended strike will have unpalatable and unpleasant effects on the nation, “most especially, on the hoi polloi.”
“Meanwhile, APGA calls on the Federal Government to practically and urgently speed up the bureaucratic process of implementing the minimum wage increase, as well as, to confer with the National Assembly to promptly without prevarication, pass a new national minimum wage bill into law, for the interest of Nigerian workers”, the party said.
SOURCE: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/11/apga-begs-nlc-to-shelve-strike/
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