Fuel Subsidy : NLC tells FG the Minimum Wage it should be ready to pay Wokers
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has told the federal government to be ready to pay Nigerians a minimum wage of N100,000 once it goes ahead to remove the fuel subsidy.
There had been reports that the federal government hoped to remove the fuel subsidy in June and start paying poor Nigerians a palliative of N5,000 to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal.
But the chairman of the labour union in Ekiti, Kolapo Olatunde, while addressing newsmen on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, warned that the subsidy removal will deepen the level of poverty in the country if not carefully managed by the incoming administration.
He stressed that the labour unions will not accept the removal without the government doing the right thing by ensuring the optimal functionality of the nation’s refineries.
According to him, if the government insists on the removal, the workers would only accept an increase of the minimum wage to at least N100,000 across the country, saying that ripple effect of the subsidy removal would be devastating for the citizens especially workers.
Olatunde disclosed that removal of subsidy which will result in selling of petrol for as high as N500 per litre would have immediate impact on the prices of goods and services in the country, thereby increasing the disturbing trend of poverty level and economic challenges in the country.
He said, “Let me say here for the umpteenth time that if the next government removes fuel subsidy, that will be open invitation to poverty and social crisis in the nation because many citizens won’t be able to survive the negative effect.
“The multiplier effect will be devastating to the masses in the area of increase in prices of goods and services when a litre will be sold for N500 or more per litre.
“If they should go ahead with the removal, we will have no option than to demand immediate increase of our minimum wage from what we have now to at least N100,000 for us to cope with the situation.”
On how government could handle the situation better, the NLC chairman said, ” the best way out is to go back to our refineries and upgrade them to function well or possibly build new ones, that is the best decision for us survive this problem in our hand”.
Speaking on the significance of this year’s workers’ celebration, he added that the event would be used to further demand the social and economic rights of workers towards ensuring justice in society.
