THE governor of Bauchi State Bala Mohammed has pleaded with labour to shelve its planned strike, saying the move will hurt the nation’s economy.
His comment came a day after the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) declared an indefinite strike beginning from Monday owing to the hike in electricity tariff and the government’s inability to reach a consensus with them on a new minimum wage.
Shortly after his Saturday visit to the Governor of Abia State Alex Otti alongside Edo’s Godwin Obaseki and members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Working Committee (NWC), Governor Mohammed called on labour to reconsider its action.
He said his appeal stems from a deep concern about the strike’s negative impact on the economy of Nigerians, warning that the nation could be plunged into a state of extreme hardship.
“I have always looked forward to making sure that workers get the best in terms of welfare, in terms of salaries and wages. But it has to be affordable; something that is within the threshold of affordability by all the sub-national and local governments. Definitely what the Federal Government will be negotiating,” the governor said.
“Some of the state governors will not be able to pay. Even at the moment, the current minimum wage of N30,000, some states are not able to pay. And I know labor leaders are really leaders. They should look at this because the strike may cripple the economy and further cause pain to workers and all of us. So, we are pleading that we should have a combining point where we can look at our affordability.”
While speaking on infringement of the local council autonomy, he said the state can’t do without local government.
Other chieftains of the PDP who were part of the entourage to Otti’s hometown of Isiala-Ngwa Local Government Area include A former Deputy Senate leader Abdul Ningi; the acting National Chairperson of PDP Umar Damagum among others.
