‘TUC, NLC Selfish In Minimum Wage Negotiation’ – PDP Chieftain, Onuesoke

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sunny Onuesoke, has asserted that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its counterpart Trade Union Congress (TUC) are selfish in their minimum wage negotiation for Nigerian workers.

Naija News reports that the former Delta State gubernatorial aspirant while speaking on the sideline during the Democracy Day celebration at Asaba, Delta State capital, condemned what he called reckless agitation by the labour unions in forcing the federal government to succumb to their terms in the negotiation process.

He noted that organised labour acted like politicians, stressing that their obnoxious demand would hurt the common man who doesn’t earn a salary or wage and those in the private sector, traders, artisans and those living in the rural areas, which constitute the largest labour force in the country.

Onuesoke demanded that they review their demand by considering the plight of the larger percentage of Nigerians who are not on the payroll of the government as this percentage of Nigerians constitute the largest population of the workforce in Nigeria compared to those working for the government who are less than 1% of the entire Nigerian population.

The PDP Chieftain argued that organised labour is expected to agitate on how the federal government can reduce inflation and the price of goods and services.

He said, “TUC and NLC are selfish. They are the same thing with the political leadership. They are agitating for the increment of their wage. What happens to the private sector, the traders, artisans and even the unemployed Nigerians roaming our street? Who is going to increase their wages? They forget that once there is wage increase there will be hyperinflation.

“Why are they agitating for themselves salary increment like the way our lawmakers are agitating for their own salaries and allowance increase? How many salary increase did they agitate for traders, private sector, artisans and the unemployed among others.

“I expected them to agitate on how the Federal Government can reduce inflation or how the price of goods and services should be reduced instead of agitating for wage increment for themselves alone at the expense of the larger population of Nigerians which are the artisans and the market people that control 95% of the economy and not civil servants.”