‘We’re Ready for War’ NLC, TUC Says as it Protests Over Minimum Wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress have embarked on a protest in Abuja, Lagos State and Abia State over the plan to remove minimum wage from exclusive list by the National Assembly.

The protest commenced at the Unity Fountain in Abuja on Wednesday stating in different placards that the plan to remove minimum wage from the exclusive list was concurrent to waging war on Nigerian workers.

In a chat with Premium Times, the Lagos State Chairman of the TUC, Mr Gbenga Ekundayo, revealed that the workers were ready to go on a mega strike if the National Assembly refuses to hearken to their call.

He said, “As organised labour, we are ready to resist that bill, shut down the National assembly and if need be, shut down the entire nation for this course. This is what we are saying in clear terms, unequivocally and we are not mincing words.”

Continuing, the Chairperson of NLC, Lagos State Chapter, Funmi Sessi, said that the organised labour will do everything to resist the bill.

She said, “The organised sectors have been talking about jaw jaw and not war war, but with that bill, if the National Assembly members do not do the needful and just step it down, this will be the beginning of the war.

“We are sitting on the keg of gunpowder in Nigeria. People are hungry, people are tired, people are angry. They are taking all the rights and privileges from us, flaunt wealth in our faces, throw our money around and corruptly enriching themselves and their children. We are ready for war,” she said.

In Abia, the protesters marched from their secretariat to the Abia State House of Assembly but unfortunately, no member of the House of Assembly addressed the crowd.