Organised labour on Wednesday cautioned the Federal Government against the reduction of workers’ salaries in its attempt to cut down personnel cost in view of the cash crunch facing the country.
The Nigeria Labour Congress and the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria warned that any attempt to reduce workers’ pay would be suicidal.
According to them, if the government is desirous of reducing its bloated payroll, it should slash the fat remuneration and allowances of political office holders “who do very little but collect so much.’’
the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, in a statement on Wednesday, titled, ‘We have no more blood to bleed: Organised labour in Nigeria condemns and rejects plans to slash the salaries of Nigerian workers,’ berated Ahmed.
He urged the government to respond to the demands by Labour for an upward review of salaries of all workers.
He stated, “It is almost unthinkable that government would be contemplating to unilaterally slash the salaries of Nigerian workers at this time. The question to ask is ‘which salary is the government planning to slash?’ It certainly cannot be the meagre national minimum wage of N30,000 which right now cannot even buy a bag of rice. The proposed slash in salaries is certainly not targeted at the minimum wage and consequential adjustment in salaries that some callous state governors are still dragging their feet to pay. It is public knowledge that the multiple devaluations of the Naira in a very short time and the prevailing high inflation rate in Nigeria have knocked out the salaries earned by Nigerian workers across the board. Nigerian workers are only surviving by hair’s breadth. Indeed, Nigerian workers are miracles strutting on two legs. It is, therefore, extremely horrendous for a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to pronounce a salary slash for Nigerian workers at this time. This call for salary slash by Mrs Zainab Ahmed is tantamount to a “mass suicide” wish for Nigerian workers. It is most uncharitable, most insensitive, most dehumanizing and most barbaric. Nigerian workers demand an immediate retraction and apology by the minister of finance.”
In his reaction, the ASCSN president, Dr Tommy Etim admonished the government to cut salaries of political office holders, adding that National Assembly members should sit on a part-time basis.
He said, “The government should reduce the pay of political office holders, the pay cut should begin with the political officeholders. Not only that, but let them also come up with a law that will make National Assembly be on a part-time basis. Their sitting should be on a part-time basis because the chunk of money goes to them. So, it would be better if the government looks in that direction and leaves the civil service alone. A civil servant is responsible for more than five family members by African tradition extended family system. So, how do you expect them to survive on N30,000 minimum wage? Some states are not even paying. I mean, it is absurd for any government to contemplate pay cut for workers at this point.’’