Coalition of Nigeria Youth Associations has condemned in strong terms a sponsored bill by the House of Representatives to give powers to state governments to decide the minimum wage for their civil servants and local governments workers.
The National Coordinator, Comrade Nuhu Sani Lere faulted the anti workers bill in a Statement made available to newsmen in Kaduna.
Describing it as the most unfortunate and disappointing Bill sponsored by a member representing Sabon Gari Federal Constituency, Kaduna state, Alhaji Garba Datti Muhammad, Lere said this clearly shows that he does not have the interest of public servants at heart.
” As a lawmaker Alhaji Garba Datti Muhammad should have researched on the present situation of minimum wage in some states of the country before presenting this unwanted and antiworker bill to the Chamber.
” Some states in the Federation have refused to implement Eighteen thousand (18000) minimum wage of Goodluck Jonathan’s administration not because they do not have the resources but because of share wickedness and greed. “Up to date there are some states that are yet to come to a round table with workers representative (Union) not talk of its implemention. The thirty thousand naira(30,000) minimum wage introduced by the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari is another case for Alhaji Garba Datti Muhammad to go and study.
“If you give the power to the National and the State Assemblies to prescribe minimum wage for their employees definitely you killed the Nigerian workers because, their faith is in the hands of the state governments who do not have the interest of the workers at heart.
“One unfortunate point raised by the lawmaker Alhaji Garba Datti Muhammad was for the Federal and the states Assemblies to have power to decide minimum wage of executive bodies, federal statutory corporations and administrative agencies and the states have the same powers to do at their levels. When the salary of executive and legislative are still in the exclusive list but want the workers salary to be in a concurrent list,” why?,
The National Coordinator said the proposed bill was uncalled for at the time when President Muhammadu Buhari is working towards harmonizing the salaries of civil servants in the country and looking at the high cost of leaving in the country.
The Coalition called on Senate President and the Speaker as well as all members of the National Assembly, particularly their committees on salary and wages to drop the bill for the interest of Nigerian workers.
Comrade Nuhu Sani Lere also
called on Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and all other affiliates to join hands with non governmental organisations to fight the bill for the interest of the civil servants in the country.
He also called on the Federal, States and Local government workers to Rise and say No to the bill for the future interest of Nigerian children and No to the Law maker who clearly shows that he does not have the interest of public service workers at heart.
The Coalition also called on Nigeria Labour Congress, Trade Union Congress and all other affiliates to join hands with non governmental organisations to fight the bill for the interest of civil servants in the country.
