All Workers Convergence

The silence of labor leaders in Nigeria during the six-day blockade mounted against trucks conveying livestock and foodstuff at Jebba from the North to the South has been described as a manifestation of the docility of the leaders in the face of the myriad of challenges confronting Nigerians.
This view was expressed by a former Chairman of the Trade Union Congress(TUC) Oyo state council and presently an ex-officio of the TUC in the state, Comrade Andrew Emelieze in a chat with Poverty Line.

''The labor leaders have gone to sleep on the plight of Nigerians. What they attempt to achieve is a lost battle because they are all docile. The police are still extorting money from transporters, this is an indication that the corruption fight in Nigeria is a hoax. The blockade was justified, it gives credence to the issues of insecurity we have been discussing in Nigeria. The labor leaders are self-centered and self-serving, they do not have the interest  of Nigerians in their minds anymore'', Comrade Emelieze concluded.

The All Workers Convergence(AWC) has declared that the increase in the price of cement poses a great threat to homeless Nigerians.
The AWC made this declaration through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.
''It is quite unfortunate to note that 2020 has been a year of endless torture for workers and Nigerians generally. There is definitely no reason for a bag of cement to be sold for about 4,00 Naira. The high cost of a bag of cement constitutes a great threat to the millions of Nigerians who are yet to have their own homes.''

The  Federal and State Governments have been warned not to introduce policies that shall further impoverish workers in Nigeria in the face of dwindling revenue and economic recession.
This warning was handed down by the All Workers Convergence(AWC) through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.
''The Federal and State Governments should not contemplate introducing policies that would further impoverish workers in these times of dwindling revenue and economic recession. Presently, the salaries of Nigerian workers cannot take them home considering the continuous devaluation of the Naira'', Comrade Emelieze lamented.

The six percent stamp duty on rents in private residential buildings recently introduced by the Federal Inland Revenue Service(FIRS) has been described as a policy to favor government and privileged  Nigerians.

This assertion was made by the All Workers Convergence(AWC) through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''The Federal Government has decided to tax the poor for the benefit of the government and  the rich. The policy is aimed at further devaluing the Naira and make the cost of living very high. This certainly is the wrong policy. This is a government that is supposed to provide as a matter of right to citizens, accommodation, in order to guarantee their right to shelter but has defiantly refused to guarantee citizens' right to shelter and is now taxing citizens for providing shelter for themselves. The hard times are here,'' Comrade Emelieze lamented.

Labor unions in Nigeria have been called upon to resist any attempt by the Federal and State Governments to slash the salaries of workers and retrench.

This call was made by the All Workers Convergence(AWC) through tis National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

‘’The AWC is calling on labor to immediately wear another toga and resist any attempt to slash workers salaries or reduce the workforce. The AWC suggests that rather than been creative and finding out ways through which the poor can survive the coronavirus crisis, our government is there planning and trying to use clandestine means to sack workers and reduce their salaries that have never been a living wage’’, Comrade Emelieze concluded.

The precarious and worrisome situation of workers in Nigeria has been attributed to the insatiable appetite of labor leaders for Government patronage.

The All Workers Convergence(AWC) made this position known throhg its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

‘’ What is painful is the very ridiculous response from the labor centers, the Nigeria Labor Congress(NLC) and the Trade Union Congress(TUC), that have shown weak response to the plight of workers in Nigeria, rather than take up genuine struggle for workers, the response labor leaders have shown that labor leaders are interested in seeking patronage from Government at all levels instead of embarking on the protection of the rights of workers. It is very worrisome that labor leaders across the federation go to the extent of presenting awards to government in the face of massive hunger, poverty and public health crisis.’’

Comrade Emelieze lamented that workers had no cause to celebrate on May 29, saying, ‘’ you don’t need a soothsayer to tel you that the Nigerian workers have nothing to celebrate as regards the Democracy day. Democracy has been pirated and the voice of the workers no longer count, workers are underrated and they are treated as appendages, only to be used when needed.’’

Workers across the globe have been called upon not to despair as a result of the ravaging coronavirus pandemic.

This call was made by the All Workers Convergence(AWC) through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

‘’Workers allover the world are urged by the AWC not to despair in the face of the global corona virus pandemic, nothing is permanent, we shall overcome. The coronavirus pandemic is not an exception, we shall overcome’’, Comrade Emelieze concluded.

The 30, 000 Naira new national minimum wage is not a living wage for workers in Nigeria.

This assertion was made recently by the Chair person of the Socialist Workers and Youth League(SWL), Comrade Kemi Afolayan at a symposium titled ‘’LIVING WAGE-MATTERS ARISING’’, organized by the SWL in Ibadan, Nigeria.

‘’There is a clear difference between the new national minimum wage and a living wage. If you look at it critically workers are worse off. 90 per cent of Nigerians are living below the poverty level. After retirement, workers go into depression. A living wage is achievable, but government cannot give workers a living wage on a platter of gold.’’, Comrade Afolayan noted.

In his remarks, Comrade Olaoye Sanda lamented the insincerity of labor leaders in Nigeria, saying, ‘’we have labor leaders who are colluding with Government’’.

For Comrade Andrew Emelieze, the new national minimum wage of 30,000 N aria is unacceptable.

‘’30, 000 Naira is a slave wage. It has brought pains and misery to workers in Nigeria. There should be an immediate review of the national minimum wage. 30,000 Naira is laughable and embarrassing’’, Comrade Emelieze stated.

The All Workers Convergence has berated the Federal Government for commencing the payment of the new national minimum wage to workers on Grades levels 01 to 06 while negotiations for other grade levels are still ongoing.

According to the National Coordinator of the AWC, Comrade Andrew Emelieze, ‘’the labor movement in Nigeria has been challenged and so they must wake up from their slumber, the recent payment of junior officers in the core civil service, is a wake up call to the Nigeria labor movement.’’

‘’Apart from the fact that what is paid is more of an award, reason been that labor does not have any agreement with government on the final template, therefore the payment is just like an award to the Nigerian workers. It suggests a government that is trying to rubbish the labor movement in Nigeria and divide the rank and file of the Nigerian workers, therefore labor must wake up and face reality and equally stop all forms of romance with government’’, Comrade Emelieze concluded.

The All Workers Convergence(AWC)has took a swipe at the Federal Government in Nigeria for allowing the release of the 2018 Directorate level Promotion examination results when the major issue of the new national minimum wage was yet to be resolved.

The AWC's position was made known by its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

 ''Government has released the July 2018  promotion examination results for senior civil servants and at the same time refused to implement the new national minimum wage. Therefore,government will end up cheating the Nigerian workers, if the new national minimum wage is not implemented as the promotion is also implemented''.

''More so, the results were greeted  with mixed feelings as most f the workers are not happy that they were not promoted  and so they have laid their complaints with their various unions in protest against the results that seem to favor a few to the detriment of most civil servants. The AWC is calling on the different industrial unions to intervene in the  recent promotion examination results just released by the Federal Civil Service Commission.''

''''It is also important to note that as far as the new national minimum wage is  concerned, Nigerians workers are no longer expectant, workers have surrendered their fate and they have lost hope for a just wage from this government vis-a-vis their thinking that governance has been abandoned for frivolities. Workers are only waiting for the worst to come, especially in the case of a labour movement  that has compromised'', Comrade Emelieze lamented.

 The 2018 Directorate level promotion exercise results indicated  that 2,932 senior civil servants were promoted.

Of this number, 327 were from  the office of the Head  Civil Service f the Federation, while 70 were promoted from  Senior Grade levels 16 to 17.

In all those promoted were from SGL 14 to 15, 15 to 16 and 16 to 17.

The Federal Government of Nigeria has increased the pump price of Kerosene with the feeling that it has pocketed and silenced impoverished and disillusioned Nigerians.

This assertion was made by the All Workers Convergence(AWC) through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

‘’Nigerian workers are shocked to hear that the Federal Government of Nigeria is systematically finding an excuse to increase the pump price of Kerosene in the face of poor economy and poverty. Painfully, they are able to do this because they feel that they have pocketed the Nigerians and the labor movement in Nigeria.’’

‘’Therefore because the labor movement is in agreement with the Government, the Nigerian masses will suffer. Kerosene that is used by the majority of poverty stricken Nigerians, Government wants to increase the pump price, when the issue of the new national minimum wage has not been settled. The AWC knows that this is just a bait, and that government is coming up with more worse agenda in terms of the eventual increase in the pump price of petroleum products.’’, Comrade Eemelieze concluded.

The All Workers Convergence(AWC) has condemned the attempt by the Federal Government to unilaterally impose consequential adjustment of salaries on Nigerian workers.

The AWC made its position known through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

‘’The negotiations are not yet completed and it must involve all parties, therefore it is foolhardy of government to unilaterally impose specific payments for specific set of workers without the Joint agreement of the all the parties involved. This is primitive, counterproductive and it also goes against the principles of the international labor organizations as regards the doctrine of collective bargaining.

‘’The AWC is not in any way comfortable with the position of government to divide the rank and file of workers through the nascent questionable inconsequential adjustment of salaries of Grade levels 01 to 06, thereby leaving the rest to go on with negotiations. It is an attempt to divide the Nigerian workers, though government is been deceitful, knowing fully well that between Grade levels 01 to 06 have been concession ed out and only a very few in those levels will benefit from the so called N30,000 new national minimum wage.’’

‘’The AWC supports the move for a national strike by the National Joint Public Negotiating Council as announced by its National Secretary, Comrade Bashir Lawal. Government is trying to hypnotize the Nigerian workers and put them in a state of perpetual disillusionment as regards the new national minimum wage, as it is one story today another story tomorrow, more of a cycle of endless confusion’’, Comrade Emelieze noted.

The Federal Government has proposed a 9.5 per cent increase in salaries for Grade levels 01 to 14, while five per cent increase will be effected for those from Grade levels 15 and above .

However, the labor unions are agitating for a 35 per cent increase across board.

Interestingly, the National Incomes, Salaries and Wages Commission has fixed the salaries of those workers who presently earn below N30,000 and such workers shall begin to receive payments at the end of July.

Recently, elected members of the Federal House of Representatives received N25 million each as entitlements due to them on resumption, while their counterparts in the Senate received N30 million each.

The absence of budgetary provision for training and retraining programmes for workers in Nigeria in the last four years has been fingered as one of the impediments to good governance.

This is the position of the All Workers Convergence(AWC) who made this known through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

''Generally, workers are complaining in all aspects  that affects productivity, including training, retraining and manpower development which ahs been at its lowest ebb in the last four years.This is so because in the last four years we have been having budget failures and the budget has not been fully implemented. Therefore funds for the training and retraining of workers might not be readily available based on budget non-performance, which of course has affected productivity and the psychology of workers, coupled with the gravity of low pay. Workers are generally ill motivated'', Comrade Emelieze opined.

The All Workers Convergence(AWC) has called on workers in Nigeria to be ready to confront any state Government that would refuse to pay the new national minimum wage.

The AWC made this call through its National Coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze.

‘’As regards the implementation of the new national minimum wage, workers must not rest on their oars because some states might want to prove difficult. All necessary mechanisms must be put in place to ensure that any state government that refuses to pay must be confronted’’.

‘’Every state in Nigeria has the capacity to pay. And if there is any Governor that refuses to pay, the AWC is calling on such a Governor to resign. It is equally very important for labor to give conditions which include, government and employers of labor must not retrench workers, government must not increase the pump price pf petrol, under any guise and government must not also increase or introduce any form of taxation or devalue the national currency by any means’’, Comrade Emelieze stated

The All Workers Convergence(AWC) has declared that the  leadership that  has  emerged from the 23 February Presidential and National Assembly elections in Nigeria would not popular when reference is made to the flawed electoral process. 

This declaration was  made by the AWC through it National coordinator, Comrade Andrew Emelieze in a chat with Poverty Line.

''And if government has risen to power through crooked means via manipulating the electoral process that government will never  serve the public interest. The cloud doesn't seem to be clear as the political atmosphere has brewed so much violence thereby making the elections not to be credible, not to be popular and not also to be legitimate. Therefore any leadership that would emerge from such an election shall not be credible, shall not be popular and shall not be legitimate''.

''By implication workers' fate shall be hanging in the balance and nothing extraordinary, new and spectacular will happen to the Nigerian workers through a government that came to  power through an election that is not credible, Comrade Emelieze stated.