Labour cautions FG against salary cut

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday cautioned the Federal Government against cutting workers’ salaries.

The NLC described slashing salaries as akin to “mass suicide” for workers.

The Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, had, on Tuesday at a policy dialogue on corruption and cost of governance in Nigeria organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, said the government was working to reduce the high cost of governance by cutting workers’ salaries.

But NLC President Ayuba Wabba yesterday asked the government not to tamper with the “meagre”

N30,000 minimum wage.

He said the government should rather slash “humongous remuneration and allowances” of political office holders.

“It is most unthinkable that the government would be contemplating to unilaterally slash the salaries of Nigerian workers at this time. The question to ask is: which salary is the government planning to slash? It certainly cannot be the meagre national minimum wage of N30,000 which right now cannot even buy a bag of rice!

“The proposed slash in salaries is certainly not targeted at the minimum wage and consequential adjustment in salaries that some callous state governors are still dragging their feet to pay!

“It’s public knowledge that the multiple devaluation of the Naira in a very short time and the prevailing high inflation rate in Nigeria has knocked out the salaries earned by Nigerian workers across the board.

“Nigerian workers are only surviving by hair’s breadth. Indeed, Nigerian workers are miracles strutting on two legs. It’s, therefore, extremely horrendous for a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to pronounce salary slash for Nigerian workers at this time,” Wabba said.

Wabba said Nigerian workers demanded an immediate retraction and apology by the Minister of Finance.

He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to call the minister to order now before she set Nigeria on fire with her statements.