Labour Pushes For 50% Salary Increase, Writes President Buhari

By Ayodele Oni

As the Federal Government is still battling with how to resolve the lingering strike embarked upon by Academic Staff Union Of Universities, (ASUU), the Nigeria Labour Congress has proposed a 50% salary review.

The proposal, which will be “across board” as canvassed by the NLC, is as a result of the “realities on ground.”

On its part, ASUU is asking the Federal Government to scrap centralized pay roll system, IPPIS, N1.4 trillion to improve funding of Universities and wage  increase

The request was contained in a letter to President Mohamadu Buhari dated August 8 by the Labour Union.

The letter,  signed by NLC President, Ayuba Wanba, according to Labour sources, was a response to the economic prescriptions offered by State Governors.

It was gathered that the Governors had pushed for the elimination of petrol subsidy, the retirement of civil servants from the age of 50, and the reduction of National Assembly constituency projects among other prescriptions.

The Union slammed the Governors for seeking early retirement of workers, saying anyone promoting this idea “should be treated as enemy of your Government.”

Instead of early retirement, the Union asked the Buhari-led administration to consider a further increase of workers’ salaries.

“While we commend you for your thoughtfulness for a wage increase, truth of the matter is that given the misfortune that has befallen the Nigerian populace, especially workers with fixed incomes, there is an urgent need for a massive intervention much deeper than the 22 percent.

“We would recommend a 50 percent salary review across board given the realities on ground.”