Minimum wage: Nigerian workers unfairly treated – Oshiomhole

APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole

Adams Oshiomhole, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on organised labour to challenge political leaders to ensure that state resources meet the needs of workers and other Nigerians.

Oshiomhole made the call in Abuja at a reception in honour of the Director General, International Labour Organisation (ILO), Mr Guy Ryder.

Oshiomhole expressed concern over non-chalant attitude of leaders towards improving the lives of Nigerian workers, and said the organised labour must adopt aggressive engagements to change the status quo.

“We have to do things differently about minimum wage,” he said, noting that whereas prices of goods and services had gone up astronomically in the country, workers wages have remained static.

“So if every other costs are changing, and labour cost is constant…, somebody is being squeezed.

“Rising crises, stagnant wages, a very miserable lifestyle, and you have to fight for that.

“And we now see in Nigeria the difference between signing an agreement and the challenge of translating those laws, and even the contradiction of signing laws first before getting consultants to tell us how to implement these laws.

“Just to tell you that from inside, I am much more convinced that unions should not only exist, but should have the capacity and ruthlessly deploy that capacity to ensure that the resources of states are dissipated in favour of working people and working families,” the former NLC president said.