FG can’t cheat workers, says TUC on minimum wage

The Trade Union Congress (TUC) has assured workers in the country that the federal government will implement the new N30,000 minimum wage.

Bobboi Kaigama, TUC’s president-general, was speaking on Monday in Akure, Ondo state capital, during the fifth triennial delegates conference of the state chapter of the union.

He said the approved minimum wage was not a scam.

Represented by Musa Lawal, secretary-general of TUC, Kaigama noted that a presidential technical committee to work out new salary templates had been set up and expected to submit its report next week.

The TUC president assured that organised labour was following developments of the committee to ensure workers were not shortchanged.

“No no no, we are not sleeping. The battle for the minimum wage is very straight and we are not sleeping on it, what we are currently doing is to create a template,” Kaigama said.

“And that is why we are trying to appeal to those that are receiving more than N30,000, is not something you do by magic, it’s technical and that is why we (government and labour) set-up (Presidential) technical committee to look into the matter.

“We don’t believe government can scam the workers because I believe in the welfarism of everybody and I don’t have doubt in President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration either to scam or not.”

In April, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the new national minimum wage bill into law.

During the conference, new officers were elected. Helen Odofin emerged the new state chairman of the union.

The elected officers included Clement Fatuase, vice-chairman; Soladoye Ekundayo, ex-officio; Dayo Adebiyi, state secretary; Tope Akinsola, assistant secretary; Taimiyu Olufemi, treasurer.

Others were Ikechukwu Nneke, financial secretary; Femi Owolabi, public relations officer; Olusegun Akinbolasere, auditor 1 and Makinde Ayesoro.