The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has accused the Federal and State Governments of owing workers wage ‘award for the months of March and April, 2024.
Comrade Festus Osifo, President of the TUC has called out both arms of government while briefing the media on the fallout of its National Executive Council meeting held in Abuja on Thursday.
According to Osifo, while a few states were up and doing regarding the payment of the wage award which is a fallout of palliative measures to cushion the effect of subsidy removal, states like Imo, Delta, Benue, Katsina, Kebbi, Anambra among others were lagging behind, despite huge allocations from the federation account.
The TUC leadership also carpeted the Federal Government over its unilateral decision to increase electricity tariff without consultation with stakeholders.
Osifo noted that such decisions are not implemented in advanced climes. He said it is even more worrisome that most Nigerians are not metered, calling on the government to rescind the implementation in the interest of the suffering masses.
Speaking on the state of security in the country, TUC decried the level of insecurity, lamenting that farmers cannot go to farms for cultivation for fear of being killed.
He warned that unless the government tackled the situation head on, the prices of food and other commodities would keep rising beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians.
Osifo said, “We held our NEC where we reflected on the recent increment in electricity tariff, we consider this decision as being too hasty.
“There’re provisions that ought to have been followed before you increase electricity tariff, there ought to be stakeholders engagement, but in this case it was not done.
“Today electricity tariff is being increased when some people are still using estimated billing. We have expected that by now every single house in Nigeria should have pre-paid meters, we insist that there must be stakeholders’ engagement to arrive at a critical decision like this”.
On the inability of the Port Harcourt refinery to kick off operations by April as promised by the Federal Government, TUC said it was part of the reason for the resurgence of fuel queues in parts of the country.
He urged the government to hasten up and actualize it, so as to lessen the economic hardship in the country.
“Sometime last year TUC made a visit to Port Harcourt refinery and the government told us that by April the refinery will start production, but till date nothing is working there. We urge the government to do everything possible to make it operational.
“We call on the government to tame insecurity because farmers are no longer farming, we see what is happening in Benue and Plateau States. People need to go to farm to cultivate, that is what will reduce the price of goods and other commodities in our market.
“NEC in session discussed the issue of minimum wage, we insist that the only way to reflate your economy is when people have money to purchase items. When people lack purchasing power, the effect is that manufacturers will produce and keep on the shelf. So the minimum wage committee should hasten up to unveil a new minimum wage.
“On wage award, the last wage award paid to workers was February 2024. That of March and April 2024 has not been paid as we speak, we call on government to release it so that when salary is coming in the wage award should be paid too.
“While a number of states have been up and doing in terms of remitting the wage award, states like Benue has been lagging behind on workers welfare, Anambra is also culpable in this payment, we thought that since it is one State being led by an economist, he should be able to put on his thinking cap, Imo, Delta, Akwa Ibom, Kebbi and Kastina are equally lagging behind seriously, “TUC added.
