Strict mechanisms are in place to guarantee that states and businesses implement the national minimum wage and the corresponding adjustment by the end of March, according to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
This was said by Mr. Mohammed Ibrahim, President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), during the union’s one-day National Leadership Retreat, which was held in Abuja on Wednesday for the members of the National Administrative Committee.
“Leadership Challenges among Activists” was the retreat’s theme.
Ibrahim, who also serves as the NLC’s national internal auditor, stated that the actions were necessary because states and organizations were consistently delaying their attempts to manipulate salary payments.
He claims that dishonesty is one of the problems with the minimum wage’s adoption.
“The national minimum wage has been signed into law, and payments should have commenced nationwide.
“But in most institutions and states, what they did was just to award a certain amount or a figure they are merely using to play with the intelligence of workers as minimum wage.
“But I am happy that the NLC is not sleeping on this matter and we have been engaging.
“But going forward, I can assure you that we are taking very stringent measures to ensure that between now and the end of this first quarter, that the minimum wage and consequential adjustment will be implemented.
“Any state or employer of labour that refuses to implement the national minimum wage and the adjustment in workers’ salaries accordingly will face the consequences.
“The labour laws are there and we have all that it takes to enforce our rights against those employers,” he stated.
Speaking on the retreat’s theme, Ibrahim claimed that some participants undermined strike efforts, making them less successful.
“Unfortunately, some of our own members work against our collective struggle. They engage in blackmail and underhand dealings to derail strike actions.
“But this is not unique to SSANU; it happens in every sector. Part of why we are holding this retreat is to educate our members on the importance of unity and discipline within the union,” he said.
Ibrahim also acknowledged that worker exhaustion and government indifference were to blame for the decline in the effectiveness of industrial actions.
Although strikes were still a last resort, he said, the union will look into other approaches to negotiations.
He emphasized the necessity of improved tertiary institution funding and ongoing training for university employees.
But according to the SSANU president, universities must continue to be hubs for innovation and learning, necessitating ongoing staff capacity building.
“As leaders of this great union, we must ensure that our national executives are equipped with the latest global trends.
”SSANU is an affiliate of NLC, and we have benefited from international training programmes.
“It is important that we bring this knowledge back home and share it at all levels,” he said.
Former SSANU President Chief Promise Adeusi, former NLC President Ayuba Wabba, and Mr. Rotimi Mathew, Director-General of the Institute of Mentoring and Coaching, are among those attending the retreat.