The Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC), has opposed moves by the Federal Government to cut salaries of civil servants as well as the number of federal agencies.
Recall that the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, had said the FG was working to reduce the high cost of governance by cutting the salaries of civil servants as well as the number of federal agencies
The Minister gave the indication at a ‘National Policy Dialogue on Corruption and Cost of Governance in Nigeria’, organised by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, (ICPC), in Abuja. She directed the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission to immediately review the salaries of civil servants as well as the number of federal agencies in the country.
But in a statement issued by the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, the Congress stated it was most unthinkable that the government would be contemplating to unilaterally slash the salaries of Nigerian workers at this time.
The NLC argued that multiple devaluations of the Naira in a very short time and the prevailing high inflation rate in Nigeria have knocked out the salaries earned by Nigerian workers across the board. According to Labour, the call for salary slash by the Minister is tantamount to a “mass suicide” wish for Nigerian workers.
“It is most uncharitable, most insensitive, most dehumanising and most barbaric. Nigerian workers demand an immediate retraction and apology by the Minister of Finance”, the NLC stated.
