Emmanuel Ochayi
President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, has emphasized that the labor union’s primary goal is not to demand an increase in minimum wages, but rather to address pressing issues affecting junior workers in Nigeria.
This comes after the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and TUC on Tuesday, September 26 announced their plan to embark on an indefinite strike on Tuesday, October 3, to draw the attention of the government to the sufferings of Nigerians due to the impact of the petrol subsidy removal done four months ago.
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While appearing on Arise News TV Morning Show on Wednesday, Osifo highlighted the stance of labour unions on the matter.
“We have exhausted our tools in our toolbox,” Osifo declared, acknowledging that the strike option is the last resort for the TUC.
He continued: “The President in August told us that they have saved 1 trillion naira from the removal of fuel subsidy.
Therefore, we are not asking for new minimum wages; we are asking them to freeze the taxation of junior workers for the meantime, pending the time being. It is not to freeze it forever.”
Osifo clarified that their demand is a temporary measure intended to alleviate the financial burden on junior workers during these challenging times. “We are simply asking them to spend the saved subsidy funds on the citizen, reduction in the cost of governance,” he stated firmly.
The TUC President stressed that the union’s primary concern is to ensure that the money saved from the fuel subsidy removal is reinvested in ways that benefit the Nigerian people, particularly by reducing the tax burden on low-income workers and addressing the cost of governance.
The TUC’s stance, as conveyed by Osifo, signals their commitment to advocating the welfare and financial relief of junior workers without necessarily pushing for new minimum wage adjustments.
This development comes amidst ongoing discussions and negotiations between the government and labor unions regarding economic reforms in Nigeria.
Emmanuel Ochayi is a journalist. He is a graduate of the University of Lagos, School of first choice and the nations pride. Emmanuel is keen on exploring writing angles in different areas, including Business, climate change, politics, Education, and others.
