Economic hardship: JNC calls for review of workers allowances
The National leadership of joint Public Service Negotiations Council (JPSNC) Trade Union side has called on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Mohammadu Buhari to review allowances of workers in the Public Service in view of the prevailing economic situations in the country.
This called was contained in a letter addressed to the President through the Head of Service of the Federation entitled” urgent need for upward review of allowances to entire workers in the Public Service”
In the the letter dated 5th July 2022 duly signed by both the National Chairperson joint Public Service Negotiations Council Comrade Benjamin Anthony and the National Secretary Comrade Bomoi Mohammed ibraheem pointed out that between 2019 and now, tons of events have taken over some of which have eroded the value of N30,000 minimum wage such as the inflationary rate in the country occasioned by multiple increases in exchange rate from N150.00 in 2014 to the current rate of N615.00 to a dollar; this has impacted negatively in the cost of living condition and thereby impoverished workers in the Public Service.
“The current level of insecurity has further worsened the situation as some workers who used to engage in farming and other menial activities to make ends meet no longer do so” JNC lamented.
The JNC national leadership said that “the Council believes that despite the identified challenges, the economy generally is still growing well and the price of oil has shot up over the last year”
“A pointer is International Monetary Fund (IMF) report on Nigeria in February 2022 after recession neccessitated by the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 the real value of the economy increased by around 2.6% a year; that is doubling of the actual six of the economy in less than twenty years, this is the same amount that the minimum wage increased over the last eleven (11years) as everyone knows that we are getting poorer as workers”
Flowing from the above indices, the National joint Public Service Negotiations Council JPSNC Trade Union side at its meeting held on Friday 24th June 2022 resolved among other issues to call for urgent need for upward review of the following allowances:
*Housing
*Transport
*Medical
*Utility
*Reinstatement of disengaged workers among others.
The JNC believes that the review of the aforementioned allowances would go a long way to alleviate the excruciating effects of the present economic challenges faced by the workers and further boost their productivity for National development.
Earlier, the JNC National leadership, on behalf of the entire workers had commended the President (Muhammadu Buhari) of the
country for his doggedness and pragmatic efforts put in place in handling the affairs of the country in the face of daunting challenges as well as the approval for the upward review of the New national minimum wage from Eighteen thousand to Thirty thousand naira (N18,000 to N30.000) in 2019.
NLC -ASUU mass protest-National joint Public Service Negotiations Council mobilises Public Service workers nationwide
The National leadership of joint Public Service Negotiations Council (JPSNC) Trade Union side has directed workers across the country to prepare for mass protest against the Federal Government insensitivity to ASUU demands.
The mass protest is scheduled to hold across 36 States and Abuja , the Federal Capital Territory for two days begining from Tuesday 26th and Wednesday 27th July 2022.
In a press release jointly signed by the National Chairperson Comrade Benjamin Anthony and the National Secretary Comrade Bomoi Mohammed ibraheem declared that ” in the pursuit of ASUU struggle, the joint Council has no alternative opinion than to support their actions and call out all Public Service workers nationwide to embark on a solidarity Strike in support of the struggle to liberate the education sector from the firm grip of uncaring government who derives Joy in sending their offspring to Private Universities ( local and foreign) thereby destroying the future of the children of the less privileged class to face life threatening pains of unpopular social economic policies” the added.
The joint Council expressed pains considering the lackadaisical attitude of government in addressing the issues in the demand of ASUU without any concrete resolution in sight this has caused serious defect in the educational pursuit innocent Nigerian students in Public Universities.
The statement averred that students in Nigeria Public tertiary institutions are largely children from the less privilege class who have been at home since four (4) months ago without any headway in sight to resolving the seemingly intractable issues. Government’s non challatant attitude to the welfare of the Masses they professs to represent is worrisome and has being the bane of this crisis.
Arising from the above, the council hereby align with the decision of the Nigeria Labour Congress NLC TUC and Civil Society Organizations in propounding a realistic and lasting resolution to the crisis which up to date still remain unresolved, the teeming students due to idleness and prolonged stay at home could be prone to various social vices which could have negative impact in their lives and invariably have adverse effect on the society.
The joint Council frowned at Federal Government laissez-faire attitude to the lingering Crisis without any resolution Insight. The stoppage of salaries of striking universities lecturers is not only draconian decision but also uncalled for since government was responsible for the action by its failure to honour a legally valid collective bargaining agreement.
As a red alert, the National leadership of joint Public Service Negotiations Council hereby call on all workers in the Public Service of the country to join the sympathy strike whenever Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) resolved as such to press home the demand of ASUU and to protest the Nigeria education sector as all innocent students left hopelessly in penury” the statement added.
