KOGI NLC DEMANDS N90,000 AS MINIMUM WAGE

By Ola Simon

The factional leader of the Kogi State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Eleojo Opaoluwa has clamoured for the increment of the living wage from its current N18,000 to N90,000.
Addressing the members of the Union yesterday, Comrade Opaoluwa who recalled the historic struggle and sacrifices made for the global working class noted that workers salaries must be increased in view of the economic realities in the country.

He noted that the theme for this year’s May Day which affirmed the need for” Inclusive Socio – Economic Space for Sustenable Development can only be realistic when the workers in the country are able to live a decent life that is expected of human being.

The labour leader also appealed to the Federal Government to deviate from the mono culture economy and embark on massive industrialisation by resuscitating the moribund industries such as the Ajaokuta Steel Company, the Itakpe Iron Ore, as well as the textile and the automobile industries.

Comrade Opaoluwa commended the efforts of the state government in addressing the menace of the ghost workers saying no sate can make significance progress in the atmosphere of corruption.
He appealed to Governor Yahaya Bello to pay all the outstanding salaries of workers and pensioners and avoid the temptation of diverting the bail out fund for other purposes.
The Labour Leader decried the high level of fuel scarcity in the country and advised the Federal Government to check the activities of those hoarding the product to create artificial scarcity and empower the State Monitoring Agencies to curtail the activities of fraudulent independent marketers.

Earlier in his address, the state secretary of the Union, Comrade Emmanuel Olusegun who expressed sadness over the division in NLC disclosed that the efforts to bring the factional groups together two weeks ago met a road block as the parties involved could not signed the memorandum of understanding that should have prompted a unified labour day celebration.
Also speaking, the state Chairman of the National Union of Electricity Employees, Comrade Segun Medupin appealed to the Federal Government to revisit the privatisation of electricity saying most of the employees have been unlawfully disengaged without proper compensation.