TUC advocates pay rise for workers

The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria on Monday requested the Federal Government to revisit the issue of pay rise for its workers.
The TUC’s request was contained in a statement signed by its President, Bobboi Kaigama, and the Secretary General, Musa Lawal, and made available to newsmen on Monday in Lagos.
The statement also urged President Goodluck Jonathan to commemorate his 56th birthday by granting Nigerians relief in some fundamental areas, noting that “Nigerian workers are not well paid”.
The TUC said: “Investigations have revealed that Nigerian workers are among the least paid in the sub-Saharan Africa, and this ought not to be so.
“We join other Nigerians to celebrate with the President on his 56th birthday.
“We indeed thank the Almighty God who has kept him alive and given him the grace to lead the most populous black nation in the world.
“God has indeed been kind to him. We expect him to be kind to Nigerians and do the right things for the nation.”
The statement noted that there was also the need to readdress the failure of the Federal Government and some state governments in the payment of salaries to civil servants as and when due.
The labour leaders reiterated their call for the Federal Government to apply measures that would immediately end the five-month old strike embarked upon by university lecturers.
“The strike has been too costly for Nigeria, especially the death of Comrade Festus Iyayi, less than two weeks ago as he journeyed to Kano for ASUU’s National Executive Council meeting that was meant to resolve the on-going crisis,” the statement added.
The congress also urged the President to promptly present the 2014 budget to the National Assembly, saying: “It is unfortunate that the President is yet to present the 2014 budget less than 50 days to the end of the year.
“It is a globally acknowledged fact that good budgeting and early presentation of budgets is serious business that makes for better fiscal and socio-economic planning and should not be subject to any delay.”