The Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) has condemned the attempt by the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) to renege on the payment of N18, 000 minimum wage.
This is just as the journalists’ body urged all media houses owing their workers to pay up or face the wrath of the union.
The condemnation was contained in a 10-point communiqué issued at the end of its first National Executive Council (NEC) meeting under the Waheed Odusile leadership, held in Katsina State.
The Odusile led group also frowned at the deplorable state of federal roads and called on the Federal Government to immediately rehabilitate the roads.
The union urged governors not to toe the path that would put them in confrontation with labour unions, adding that the action of the states’ helmsmen would be detrimental to labour laws and the constitution of the country.
NUJ’s reaction is coming on the heels of a similar action from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), who have both vowed to resist the latest attempt by the governors to further impoverish Nigerian workers.
The communiqué, signed by the National Secretary of the union, Shuaibu Usman Leman, also called on the newly inaugurated Federal Executive Council (FEC) to hit the ground running in order to speed economic and national development, while charging the Muhammadu Buhari led regime to urgently provide job opportunities for youths in the country.
Recalled that the NGF had stated that they could no longer pay the N18, 000 minimum wage due to dwindling revenue necessitated by drop in oil prices globally.
According To NGF, “The situation is no longer the same when we were asked to pay N18, 000 minimum wage, when oil price was $126 (per barrel) and we continued paying N18, 000 minimum wage when the oil price is $41, while the source of government expenditure is from oil, and we have not seen prospects in the oil industry in the near future. We can no longer pay.”
