Minimum Wage: Labour’s Negotiation Selfish, Says PDP Chieftain Onuesoke

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Delta State gubernatorial aspirant, Sunny Onuesoke, has criticised what he called the reckless agitation of organized labor for an increase in the minimum wage of Nigerian workers.

Speaking on the sidelines during the Democracy Day celebration in Asaba, Delta State capital, the PDP chieftain described the efforts by the labor unions to force the federal government to succumb to their terms in the negotiation process as inhuman and selfish.

He stressed that their demands would have an adverse effect on the common man who doesn’t earn a salary or wage.

According to him, it is ridiculous for the labor unions to negotiate for an increase in the minimum wage of workers without considering the adverse effect it will have on ordinary citizens of the country, especially those in the private sector, traders, artisans, and those living in rural areas, who constitute the largest labor force in the country.

He maintained that the labor movement was obviously not putting Nigeria and Nigerians first in this negotiation process.

Onuesoke urged them to review their demands by considering the plight of the larger percentage of Nigerians who are not on the government payroll, as this percentage constitutes the largest workforce in Nigeria compared to those working for the government, who are less than 1% of the entire Nigerian population.

“TUC and NLC are selfish. They are the same as the political leadership. They are agitating for the increment of their wages. What happens to the private sector, the traders, artisans, and even the unemployed Nigerians roaming our streets? Who is going to increase their wages? They forget that once there is a wage increase, there will be hyperinflation.

“Why are they agitating for their salary increment like the way our lawmakers are agitating for their own salaries and allowance increases? How many salary increases did they agitate for traders, the private sector, artisans, and the unemployed among others?” Onuesoke queried.