Organised labour yesterday drew the battle line with the Federal Government and threatened to mobilise against the conduct of the April general election except the new wage bill is signed into law.

The unionists vowed that no governorship election would hold in any state except the governors showed commitment to paying the new wage awaiting passage at the House of Representatives after the Senate had passed it last week.

The labour leaders went into a marathon session yesterday to deliberate on the minimum wage against the background of the claim by their erstwhile leader and now Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, that they were going to have problems with the state governors because the most of the governors were against the new wage.

Oshiomhole had advised the labour to prevail on the Federal Government to review the revenue allocation formula to favour the states and local governments so that they could have more money to meet their obligations, adding that most of the governors would like to pay but didn’t have the means. However, labour leaders discountenanced the advice that they should plead with the Federal Government to review the revenue allocation formula but would tackle the federal and state governments headlong because the issue touched on law and not sentiment.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), President Abdulwaheed Omar, quickly dismissed the position of Oshiomhole as a mere distraction, warning that it would be a total showdown with government should the National Assembly fail to pass the bill before the end of its tenure, adding that congress would not allow itself to be arm twisted.

Omar said: “That would be a distraction and we have come a long way in the battle. Therefore, all the parties agreed we are not going to listen to any further excuses. It would be uncharitable for them to be giving us conditions after the whole agreement has been sealed and the law was already being processed.”
The delegates to the 10th quadrennial conference of the NLC, holding in Abuja, then resolved at their session yesterday that there would be no elections in the states without payment of the new wage noting that the workers patience had been tested enough by the state governments.

They expressed their frustration with the state governments over the matter and took a position not to allow elections in those states if the governors failed to pay because it would amount to disobeying the law.
The congress president insisted that “the ultimatum we are giving to the government is that the new minimum wage bill must be assented to by the president before the dissolution of the present National Assembly. Failure of both the executive and the National Assembly to collaborate and ensure implementation of the wage bill would put the April elections in jeopardy as workers would ensure the elections do not hold.”

Oshiomhole had explained that the Federal Government allocated to itself 47. 3 per cent of the total federal revenue, leaving the states and local governments with only 43.7 per cent and in the process the Federal Government had more money to throw into projects that had no value to the people rather than giving it to states and local governments, which has responsibility to the people at the grass root.

It was on the basis of this that he called on labour to rise up to the challenge and engage the Federal Government on the revenue allocation formula.




http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2011/mar/03/national-03-03-2011-001.htm

this is mad. nlc shld capitalize on this to fight regime change.
the nlc must use this against the wicked pdp govt that are enjoying millions as salaries while refusing a minimum wage of ordinary N18,000. this is wickedness.

story

Democracy dividends CANNOT be obtained through ACN - Autocrats Congress of Nigeria- old men imposing their wives, kids, in-laws, relations and maybe even househelps on their party members.
Progress CANNOT come from ACN- Alliance for Corruption in Nigeria with Tinubu as their leader.
Shine your eyes(and ask your folks & friends do likewise), identify, scrutinise, select and mobilise support for your national and state assembly legislator candidates on individual merit basis NOT blindly on party basis.

anonimi:

Democracy dividends CANNOT be obtained through ACN - Autocrats Congress of Nigeria- old men imposing their wives, kids, in-laws, relations and maybe even househelps on their party members.
Progress CANNOT come from ACN- Alliance for Corruption in Nigeria with Tinubu as their leader.
Shine your eyes(and ask your folks & friends do likewise), identify, scrutinise, select and mobilise support for your national and state assembly legislator candidates on individual merit basis NOT blindly on party basis.

Look at this this Dumbo! GEJ' supporters will not keep their stinking mouth closed. Like i said shit flows from the hill.

Bullshit!!! The same GEJ increase the minimum wage from N7,500 to N17,000 just last year,what is just N1,000 that he can not add after he just sent the same for approval to the national assembly

why is this on the front page. voting is a right u may or may not exercise.

n.b; it's in ur best interest to vote if u dont want ur slot allocated to one rigging politician

Knowing these governors they wopuld prefer the election not to hold so that they can remain in power. NLC should look for another strategy

Empty threat
no be today, e don tey

Ten Reasons you should not vote for Jonathan Badluck:

Clueless Leadership - The main misfortune of the Jonathan presidency is the lack of drive that has characterized it from its inception. Jonathan found greatness trust on him and has no idea of what to do with it. The reason we cry out against poor leadership in Nigeria is because Nigeria offers the greatest opportunity for any sound leader to prove himself. Jonathan's leadership is clueless in regards to tackling the myriads of problems bedeviling Nigeria and if offered the next 50 years to rule he would do nothing.
Nigerians Seeking Something New - If the truth be told this country has been ruled by the same set of people and thier initiates, and Nigerians are seeking for something new. Those who are opting for the Jonathan ticket are people who are hardly thinking the man through. Many of his adherents some weeks ago have switched camp to Buhari as they are gradually reallising he has got nothing to offer them in the new republic.
End to the PDP misrule - PDP has ruled this nation for the past 12 years with nothing to show for it. Analyst say that the revenue we have earned from oil in this past 12 years surpass all we ever earned since the nation was birth in 1914! PDP and their cohorts have fed themselves fat on this nations' resources and the cry in most places now is "anything but this politically demonized people or people destroying people sect"!
End to Waste - The Jonathan presidency is touted as the largest ever in the world (or at least in our nation's history). The man in want of what to use money for created a special assistant to the Diaspora! Foreign reserve is depleted and the naira is being treatened with devaluing, the man has opened the nation to becoming a dumping site for tokunbo cars and cloths. The national assembly is passing bills daily increasing their remuneration under his nose and his doing nothing,etc.
End to Psychophancy - I wonder if Jonathan was to come on his own merit wihtout the absurd incumbency factor, if he would we even win his home state, talk less of Nigeria. Everyone is singing Jonathan for his stomach sake and for those who do it on the internet, it is because they are not thinking!
Opportunity for a Sovereign National Conference - President Good luck Jonathan has never for once mentioned the issue or the possibility of an SNC. If a referendum is to be held in Nigeria I bet a large percentage would opt for a split (even if not a major percentage). There are many people groups who feel cheated in this country and who need to voice their opinion in an SNC. The present constitution is said to be made by the military and an SNC can help map out another. Also the Niger Deltans need to tell us what they want so this incessant militancy in that part can stop. And so on.
Good Riddance to this "Dame" Thing - One of the greatest irritants and misfortune to the GEJ government is the re-enactment of the office of a first lady. A ROGUE OFFICE THAT IS NOT EVER NAMED IN OUR CONSTITUTION. Worst still, unlike the mesmerizing Maryam Babangida, this one is an embarrassment to Nigerians everywhere she speaks. Can this nation endure the existence of another DAME in the corridors of power. Lest we forget, the corruption charges hung on her at the inception of her husband's tenure has not been proven wrong but only swept under by our Farida's toothless EFCC. What also is this parallel campaign this woman is carrying out with state money for her husband.
Cheating the Incumbency Factor: Jonathan would have gone into Nigeria's history book as one who organized free and fair elections, and did not take advantage of the power of incumbency if he had not chosen to run for office. We would have sought for him in some years to come to come and rule. Instead he chose the path of ignominy. The power of incumbency will fail this time around.
Nigeria needs more than Goodluck! - Nigeria needs good governance; we need insightful, visionary and purposeful leadership; we need a leader with drive, who can think for himself and not one who has won over his supporter with a cloak of false humility. We need more than goodluck; we need goodgovernance.
The end of OBJ Influence - Jonathan should not be voted for so we may rid ourselves from this evil from Owu. OBJ has a certain aura of evil around and until God's judgment falls on him, Nigerian would help themselves by ridding themselves of him when they do not vote Jonathan because he just a pun in the hands of the Abeokuta old warlord: that unrepentant apostle of Do or Die Politics.

@ asamuel Are u paid to vomit this scrap? the man have his shortcomings but that does not warrant a toilet fly like u to insult the exalted office of the president of the federal republic of Nigeria! Am sorry to say this but pple like u shld be sold into slavery. Arrant nonsense!

Morizo:

Am sorry to say this but pple like u shld be sold into slavery.

Who will buy him kwanu? @ topic. The NLC is becoming increasingly embarrassing with these feather-weight threats. At the end of the day, nothing will come out of it.

this guys are not serious why stop the election, use it to negotiate.

NLC is a tongue less fowl spirit that cries from the pit of hell

seanet02:

[Quote]
oboy au far u? dem pay 2 dey dey post same thing on evry thread. big fool wey Papa Deceive Pikin go pay N270 2 campaign & rig who'ld lata b dumpd lyk a used menstrual pad. u mst b a fishpie. @topic, y cnt nlc use dat as a medium 2 vote all d present rulers out instead of coming up with a logically myopic tactic? y am i evn advisin barking dogs who cnt bite?
Nb: akwa ibom chapter wil disobey ur plea(sorry threat) cus dey r all illogical praise singers

[/quote]

anonimi:

Democracy dividends CANNOT be obtained through ACN - Autocrats Congress of Nigeria- old men imposing their wives, kids, in-laws, relations and maybe even househelps on their party members.
Progress CANNOT come from ACN- Alliance for Corruption in Nigeria with Tinubu as their leader.
Shine your eyes(and ask your folks & friends do likewise), identify, scrutinise, select and mobilise support for your national and state assembly legislator candidates on individual merit basis NOT blindly on party basis.

oboy au far u? dem pay 2 dey dey post same thing on evry thread. big fool wey Papa Deceive Pikin go pay N270 2 campaign & rig who'ld lata b dumpd lyk a used menstrual pad. u mst b a fishpie. @topic, y cnt nlc use dat as a medium 2 vote all d present rulers out instead of coming up with a logically myopic tactic? y am i evn advisin barking dogs who cnt bite?
Nb: akwa ibom chapter wil disobey ur plea(sorry threat) cus dey r all illogical praise singers

@ asamuel, i culdnt help but differ. U talk like u have a personal beef wit Goodluck to d extent u called him 'BADLUCK'. Like 9ja's best rapper said "walk down d road and go hug transformer". He sure has his shortcomings but its d same wit evry friggin human on earth. Slavery no go do you, then suppose torture u join. And pls bring a leader who is going to be a saint, and we myt prolly listen to u.

O.k; Now that the minimum wage bill has been signed into law,Then What?

its yet to be signed into law

nlc should seize this opportunity of ths election. there may not be another chance.

NLC are right jari

yes, power to the people, Labour go on jor