N30 minimum wage: Why Nigerians should ignore Labour’s threat to go on strike – Timi Frank

A former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Timi Frank, on Friday said that Nigerians should not take the leadership of Labour Unions in the country seriously over their threats to embark on strike if the government refuses to pay the N30,000 minimum wage.

Frank described the labour leaders as ‘traders’, saying that they have been compromised to the extent that they can no longer fight for the welfare of their members.

Reacting to the latest threat by the organized labour to go on strike federal Government refuse to meet their demand, Frank in a statement urged Nigerians to ignore the threat, saying the NLC’s cry came too late.

He lamented that with the current imposed charges on telecommunications providers, Value Added Tax, increased bank charges, proposed toll gates and partial closure of land borders, N30,000 minimum wage has become useless.

According to him, already, on every recharge card Nigerians buy there is 5% being charged VAT, wondering why burdensome policies on the common man by the APC’s Government.

The activist said he believes that the labour leaders were making empty threats so as to be seen as serving the interests of their members while they wine and dine with top administrative officials.

Going down memory lane, Frank recalled that during ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration that “gave more attention to Nigerian workers’ plight, TUC, NLC, ASUU, health workers and others were always in the news for one demand or the other and frequently embarking on strike and demonstrations but they can no longer bite because most of their leaders are now card-carrying members of the APC.

“The Buhari-led federal government promised the Nigerian workers heaven on earth before the general elections but has been complaining of no money to pay workers just N30,000.

“However, when it is time to use money for elections, the administration will not mind to deep hands into various revenue generating agencies to prosecute their selfish agenda.

“The money being looted daily under the current administration is enough to pay even more than N30,000 as minimum wage to Nigerian workers but no one will blame the government because the current labour leaders are weak and compromised.

“They have been used and dumped by the same administration and they can only bark and not bite.”

Frank said the politicised Labour Union is one of the problems of Nigeria as they have refused to take action to resist bad policies of government.

He wondered how the Buhari-led government would accomplish their pledge to bring out 100 million Nigerians out of poverty when it has refused to pay ordinary N30,000 as minimum wage.

“All over the world, Labour Unions are always the first to speak up against unnecessary increase in taxes, bad policies and other actions that have direct bearing on the citizens but in Nigeria, most of the Union leaders are compromised and have turned a blind eye to the plight of their members,” Frank said.