INTERVIEW: Protect Our Jobs When You Implement Oronsaye Report, TUC Warns Tinubu

…Says Ajaero Breached Labour Agreements

In this interview with THE WHISTLER, the President of the Trade Union Congress, (TUC) Festus Osifo, speaks on the issues surrounding the minimum wage, wage award and what led to the disagreement between TUC and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).

Excerpts…

The NLC Claimed That No Agreement Between Labour Unions And The FG Has Been Implemented While The Minister Of State Labour And Employment Claims That 80 per cent Of The Agreement Has Been Implemented, What Is The True Position Of Things?

When the agreement was signed on October 2, 2023, it was signed with utmost good faith that we keep our side of the agreement and similarly, the government will also implement theirs but what happened was that the government went to bed.

It did not implement the agreement. So, we kept reminding them until January 2024 when the Minister of State Labour and Employment visited the TUC, national headquarters.

During her visit, we reminded her of the need to implement the agreement and that not implementing the agreement would lead to unrest in the country. So, she told us that they were going to do something about it.

This was in January 2024. So, we waited and nothing concrete was done and that was why the TUC in conjunction with NLC issued a 14-day ultimatum on February 9. 2024.

Before we issued the ultimatum, a lot of other issues were pending and only the September wage award was paid although the agreement was signed in October 2023, we collectively agreed that payment should commence from September 2023.

After the ultimatum was issued, knowing the characteristics of government, when they see an ultimatum, they start running around.

A week after the ultimatum was issued the President of the Association of Senior Civil Servants an affiliate of TUC seeing to the affairs of civil servants in Nigeria, both in state and federal, from level seven to director reached out and said that they (federal government) have paid its members (over 700,000) up till January 2024.

Also, the Senior Staff Association of Statutory Cooperations and Government Owned Companies (SSASCGOG) in charge of statutory cooperation informed us of governments clearing the wage award backlog up till December 2024, relatively they have done something in that regard.

In September of 2023, the TUC issued a protest because the Lagos state government banned the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) from operation and occupied their offices.

When it happened, the subjects went to court and our affiliates won however the Lagos state government appealed. So, TUC intervened and the issue was captured in the October agreement, and within the 14-day ultimatum the issue was also resolved and the ban removed.

Also, the federal government did not invite organized labour to visit the refineries, but when the ultimatum was issued, as the president of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), it was best we had individual assertion of the refinery.

So, I asked the president of SSASCGOG who led the TUC delegation to the refinery to ascertain the state of what had been done. They interfaced with the NNPC representatives, and the contractors, who ascertained from the investigation that the new Port Harcourt refinery will come onstream at the end of 2024. So, all these were done within the two weeks that we gave the ultimatum.

We had a meeting with the government where we looked at the evidence and we looked at the things that we could verify, and I think we could verify what they have done. For the fact that I am a unionist that should not make me a liar.

There are lots of agreements that have not been implemented, the issue of the compressed natural gas buses, is we do not have any CNG buses.

Also, regarding the issues of fertilizers, the government told us that they have disposed of fertilizers to farmers but what we saw was documents and we don’t have concrete proof.

Before the ultimatum was issued, I am not sure that they had implemented up to 10 per cent of the agreement, however, the government moved and made progress.

TUC Did Boycott The Last Protest And It Raised Arguments Around Labour Being Divided. What Is Your Relationship With NLC, And At What Point Did You Disagree With The Protest?

On the issues between TUC and the NLC, I would not refer to it as a rift but we could use other terms in defining it. The NLC and TUC are independent trade unions, so, at some point, when it is expedited, we could collaborate and at some point, when they do not want to collaborate with us, it is okay.

We gave a joint ultimatum, and it is traditional in the trade union movement, when you give a joint ultimatum, the unions at the leadership level will review and asses compliance together.

About seven days into the ultimatum, NLC called a NEC meeting to go on a protest. Between both unions, we earlier had communication issues and in resolving that dispute we decided that moving forward when both sides are collaborating, the leadership will meet and harmonize positions.

NLC proposed that we always have a joint NEC meeting to collectively make a decision. The reason we were not informed of the NLC decision for a protest despite unanimously issuing an ultimatum is unknown to us.

This is the third time such action has happened under the Joe Ajaero NLC presidency. We must be respected as a centre and as an institution as this was a breach of an agreement. So, we said enough is enough.

Remember when Ajaero was assaulted in Imo State we championed a national strike just for an individual, so, why do you think we will not down tools for the wellbeing of the citizens in the country?

The strike is a means to an end. Today, there is hardship and poverty in Nigeria and there are different means of achieving that end. That means could be a protest, dialogue or strike.

In TUC we have a toolbox, and we look for the most effective tool to combat the current challenges.

We are not at war with our sister congress and the reason they decide not to carry us along is left for them. But be rest assured that we are fully ready to collaborate, we are fully ready to work with the NLC.

The President Issued A Threat That The Strike Is Unacceptable And That The Labour Unions Should Wait For 2027 Before They Can Contest If They Are Interested In Leadership. Do You Think Such A Statement Is Appropriate Following The Current Suffering Of Nigerians?

I cannot speak for organized labour, but I’ll speak solely for TUC. At TUC, we represent the largest spectrum of senior staff in Nigeria. In other words, in banking, in civil service, in statutory cooperation, in construction, in hospitality, and the like.

The issues we advocate for are issues that purely affect the Nigerian workers and our members, we are not politicians, we don’t go into politics, we don’t delve into politics.

But again, also talking about the right to a peaceful protest is the fundamental right of every Nigerian and it has been litigated up to the Supreme Court, and it is also incumbent on the government that whenever any individual is protesting or people are protesting, they should also be protected.

Has The TUC And Its Affiliate Analysed A Wage Suitable For Workers Considering The Current Inflation Rate And Naira Devaluation?

The issue of minimum wage would be addressed as soon as possible. Because when the last minimum wage was put in place, it was about $85.5 now it is $17 this is the erosion of the purchasing power of an average Nigerian worker. This can be done by March so that by April, the minimum wage will come into effect.

Last year we demanded N200,000 as minimum wage which was influenced by the inflation rate and the exchange rate and this factor has surged drastically which in turn has pushed up our demand.

So, our demand is going to be based on what has been the minimum wage in the last six regimes.

How Was The Wage Arrived At, Is It Feasible, Or Is The TUC On A Wild Goose Chase?

As unionists going for negotiation, we have thoroughly factored the parameters together and we will not start from what the minimum wage value should be.

The last minimum wage was close to $85.5 per month although small when you compare it to the current $17 per month, the figure is eroded.

We are factoring inflation and, an increase in value of the exchange rate within the period.? So, we have done this estimation, and we feel that N200,000 is relatively small.

Subsequently, if you follow the federal allocations, for five years, you will see that federal allocations have largely moved. The movement in federal allocation is more attributable to the devaluation of the naira.

We are about to submit what we resolved to the Committee. The Committee has started work by Thursday precisely there will be public hearings across the six geopolitical zones.

I cannot give an actual figure for the minimum wage because I am a member of the committee, however, we will submit our quota to the committee and I can assure you that the new figure is above N200,000.

So, the only place that the government has not reflected the devaluation is the pay of the workers. So, we are going to be mounting a strict policy, because you cannot receive a huge amount of funds from the federation account with, a steady increase in internal revenue, and at the end of the day, you don’t want to extend that to the workforce.

So, now more than ever before, we are going to develop tools for implementation and we will push the government at all levels to ensure that the agreed minimum wage will be implemented.

The President Tinubu-Led Government Is About Adopting Some Aspects Of The Oronsaye Report. This Means Scraping And Merging Some Agencies As A Result Thousands Of Jobs Will Be Lost. What Is The Position Of The Organised Labour On The Matter? Has TUC Taken A Position On The Matter?

If any initiative that will lead to a reduction of cost of governance, we are in support, but for any initiative that will lead to the loss of jobs and inflict more hardship on the current existing one then you have touched the lion’s tale.

We have set up a four-man committee in the TUC, led by the first government president, who goes as president of the association of senior civil servants.

So, we set up that committee for them to review the Orosanye report, and also interface with the committee that has been set up by the federal government.

Our position paper on this will be ready in the next few days, and we are going to have a position paper to be submitted to the government, and this committee that we have instituted will act as a watchdog, to ensure that no job is lost.

The TUC Issued A 14-Day Ultimatum For NAFDAC To Reverse The Ban On Alcoholic Beverages. What Is The Update On The Matter?

You know, Nigerians always think that when you issue an ultimatum, you must go on strike, no, that’s not reality but the reason you issue warnings, is to drive the people out of their shelves.

The Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association (FOBTOB) tried to reach out to the DG of NAFDAC but she was nowhere to be found.

When the ultimatum was issued, when the picketing happened, the permanent secretary of, the Ministry of Health, stepped in and brought out the NAFDAC boss.

So, she met with us and we have made some level of progress, compared to when the ultimatum was issued, some of the factories that were shut have been opened, while some major decisions have been made.

I will not be able to confirm production has commenced 100 per cent, we have started discussing mitigations and things to do to ensure that even when you produce those items, you also follow some of the environmental consequences and some of the hazards that NAFDAC is also trying to push.

So, there is a movement towards the middle point. Has it been resolved 100 per cent, no, but have we made sufficient progress since the last time ultimatum was issued, the answer is yes.