The President-elect, Bola Tinubu, has assured Nigerian workers of a minimum wage, social and economic justice.

In his solidarity massage to Nigerian workers, yesterday,  he added that workers would have a living wage to have a decent life and provide for their families under his leadership.

He also assured Nigerian workers that he was a dependable ally and co-labourer in the fight for social and economic justice for all Nigerians and urged them to  join him in the fight against poverty, ignorance, disease, disunity, ethnic, religious hate and all negative forces against the stability and prosperity of the country.

The two-term former Lagos State governor, however, called for “better understanding and cooperation”, noting that “tough decisions” would be made in the days ahead.

“I join the rest of the world and all compatriots to celebrate Nigerian workers on this year’s International Workers’  Day.

“On this special day, as your President-elect, I extend my hands of friendship to the Nigerian workers through the two central Labour unions – Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) and Trade Union Congress(TUC).

“In me you will find a dependable ally and co-labourer in the fight for social and economic justice for all Nigerians, including all the working people. Your fight will be my fight because I will always fight for you,” Tinubu said.

He said his plans for better welfare and working conditions for Nigerian workers were clearly spelt out in his Renewed Hope Agenda for a better Nigeria.

He said it was a covenant born of conviction which he was prepared to keep.

He reminded Nigerian workers that we all had a common battle to wage we must win together.

He noted that it was the fight against poverty, ignorance, disease, disunity, ethnic and religious hate and all negative forces that contend against the stability and prosperity of the country.

“In the Nigeria I shall have the honour and privilege to lead from May 29, workers will have more than a minimum wage.

“You will have a living wage to have a decent life and provide for your families.

“The days ahead will, however, demand better understanding and cooperation from all sides,because leadership will require that we take tough and hard decisions so that our people and all Nigerian workers can live more abundantly,” Tinubu said.

•Treat workers with dignity, respect, fairness, CAN tells employers

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) called on governments and other employers to treat workers with dignity and respect, and provide them with decent conditions, fair wages and job security.

In a statement by the its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, in Abuja, the  association praised the resilience, dedication and hard work of Nigerian workers, who it said had continued to drive the economy forward in spite of  numerous challenges.

CAN said that it recognised invaluable contributions of Nigerian workers to the growth and development of the nation.

“We recognise the sacrifices they make daily to ensure that their families and the nation at large have a better future.

“As Christians, we believe that work is not just a means of earning a living but also a means of fulfilling our God-given purpose on earth.

“We, therefore, encourage all Nigerian workers to continue to approach their work with diligence, excellence and integrity, knowing that their labour is not in vain.

“We also want to use this occasion to express our solidarity with Nigerian workers who have been adversely affected by the current economic situation,” it said.

The association called on governments and other employers to treat workers fairly.

•Sanwo-Olu hails workers contributions to nation’s development

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has said workers’ hard work, dedication, and contributions to the growth and development of Lagos State and Nigeria are immeasurable.

He said this on his Facebook page, while felicitating with workers on the commemoration of Workers Day.

“As we celebrate the achievements and sacrifices of workers today, let us also reaffirm our commitment to creating a conducive work environment that promotes the well-being and prosperity of all workers.

“Together, we can build a more prosperous and equitable society where every worker has the opportunity to thrive and succeed,” he said.

The governor commended the resilience and tenacity of workers in the face of unprecedented challenges, adding that with collective efforts, any obstacle would be tackled and greater heights would be achieved.

“Once again, happy Workers’ Day to all workers in Lagos and Nigeria. The future is bright, and we are all in it together,” he said.

•AbdulRazaq lauds workers’ struggle for prosperous Kwara

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq said the administration would continue to prioritise the welfare of workers and protect the interest of labour unions in the state, acknowledging their support before and during the last general elections.

Speaking in Ilorin, he congratulated the Nigerian workers and labour leaders on the celebration of May Day and pledged to maximise the gains of the last four years through implementation of various programmes and policies, saying the workers would always be needed for the success of such steps.

“Our agenda is to consolidate on the successes of the last four years through continuous infrastructural renewal, easing of the business climate, expansion of our economic base through support for macro and microeconomic activities, especially small and medium scale enterprises, general industrial growth, growing internal revenue, improving the regime of transparency and accountability, agricultural development, combating environmental and climate crisis such as flooding, and strengthening rule of law, peace and security in the state. We cannot do this without the support of workers,” he said.

•My administration’ll be workers friendly, says Enugu gov-elect

The Enugu State Governor-elect, Dr Peter Mbah, has said his administration would be workers friendly as well as promote the welfare of public servants through sustainable reforms.

Mbah, in a statement by Head of his Media Office, Dan Nwomeh, in Enugu, commended the efforts and sacrifices of the workers in both the public and private sectors for the nation’s development over the years.

The governor-elect promised that his administration would be on productivity, and constructive engagement that would eradicate poverty, insecurity, urban slums and raise the standard of living in the state.

Mbah said the theme of this year’s International Workers’ Day, a “Workers Rights and Socio-economic Justice”, was  the main pivot of his Social Charter with the people of the state.

“The 2023 International Worker’s Day theme, ‘Workers Rights and Socio-economic Justice’, which revolves around our Social Charter with the good people of Enugu State, is not by coincidence.

“Our plans for Ndi Enugu State are to formulate and implement impactful policies that will improve their standard of living and ensure that life is pleasurably livable for them,” he said.

Mbah reiterated his commitment to the welfare of workers “since we will achieve nothing much without empowering and equipping the drivers of our development plan.”

Mbah added that workers would be adequately trained and compensated for their labour as he would strive to ensure that no worker lives below the poverty line.

•Otti, Alia:  Good days ahead

Abia State Governor-elect, Dr. Alex Otti and his Benue State counterpart, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, have workers to expect good days ahead.

In a message he personally signed, Otti said he was aware as usual, that most of the workers celebrated this year’s May Day on empty stomachs as a result of non-payment of salaries, but assured them that such sad experience will become a thing of the past going forward.

He commended the workers who he said despite being owed many months of salary arrears, have ensured that the wheels of public service continue to spin.

The governor-elect reminded the workers that a year ago, during the same celebration, he did reassured the workers that sooner than later, the ruinous era of gloom and sobriety would give way for a new dawn of blessings and abundance.

Rev Fr Alia described civil service as the engine room of every functional government, but expressed regret that the Benue civil service has become epileptic and in state of a near collapse with lot of backlog of unpaid salaries, pensions and gratuities.

He expressed dissatisfaction with the manner outgoing government remained aloof to issues of pensions and salaries, stressing that the non payment of the arrears of workers’ salaries has not only caused untold hardships but has dampened the morale of Benue workers. He promised to infuse life into the civil service to keep it working.

• Workers adopts Uzodimma as candidate for Nov 11 poll

Organised Labour in Imo State has said it was time to pay Governor Hope Uzodimma back for his good relationship with the workers under his watch, particularly as regards their welfare, adopting him as their candidate for the governorship election come November 11, 2023.

To show that they have not had it so good in terms of the workers welfare in Imo State until now, the Organised Labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress, the Trade Union Congress and the State Joint Public Service Negotiating Council also debunked the comments credited to the National President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero and his TUC colleague, Festus Osifo that workers in Imo State have been laid off and that their salaries have remained unpaid.

The theme of the 2023 Workers Day Celebration was: “Workers Right and Social Economic Justice.”

In dissecting the theme, the Organised Labour acknowledged that Imo workers are the most beneficiaries of the 3R government of Governor Uzodimma.

Chairman of the State Public Service Negotiating Council in Imo State, Basil Iwu told a gathering of both labour leaders and workers at the Rear Admiral Ndubuisi Kanu Square, venue of the 2023 Imo Workers Celebration Day, in his address that contrary to Ajaero’s claims, “government has not sacked any worker,” rather, “the Governor has even directed that salaries of workers not verified be paid.”

Ajaero had claimed that 11,000 workers in Imo State were sacked as well as non- payment of salaries .

Iwu regretted that Ajaero was using his position to mislead the public on the true position of government/labour relations as well as the state of welfare of workers in Imo State and called on the public to be wary of such comments.

Iwu listed a catalogue of things the workers in Imo State have enjoyed under Governor Uzodimma to include: prompt payment of salaries/ pension to verified workers/ pensioners, provision of free transportation buses for Imo workers to and fro office, massive renovation of the State Secretariat, construction of good/quality and durable roads in Imo and restoration of peace/order in Imo State.

•Continued @sunnewsonline.com

Others include: promotion of stagnated workers in Imo Civil Service, approval of 65 years and 40 years of Service for Imo teachers, approval of one percent check-off dues to Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) and also commencement of the payment of gratuities to our retired pensioners in Imo State, provision of official vehicles to Permanent Secretaries in various ministries in Imo State, approval of payment of salary for uncaptured workers/ pensioners, appointment of a Special Adviser on Labour Matters as a way of creating faster channel of communication between workers and the government, payment of 13 percent salary to workers, the first time since the creation of Imo State, among many others.

In appreciation of all these, the Imo workers through the Leadership of Organized Labour said: “On behalf of Imo State workers, we adopt His Excellency, Dist. Senator Hope Uzodimma as our Candidate for the forthcoming Imo State Gubernatorial election in Imo State.”

However, Iwu pleaded with the Governor to direct full implementation of the payment of consequential adjustment arising from the nationally approved N30,000 minimum wage as well as to direct compliance on the payment of the three percent check off dues to industrial unions in Imo State.

To the surprise of Governor Uzodimma, plaques were presented to him by a group of Imo pensioners and members of the Joint Public Service Council who corroborated what Iwu said earlier regarding the prompt payment of salary of verified pensioners in Imo State.

The pensioners were particularly grateful that Governor Uzodimma had moved to pay them their gratuities and felt they needed to encourage him with a token in appreciation of his love, concern and benevolence to them since he assumed office.

Governor Uzodimma said he is very familiar with the import of the Workers Day and that his administration, from day one, took a decision not to play with the welfare of the workers in Imo State.

He said despite all odds, including lean resources and spate of contrived insecurity affecting the desired stability of Imo State, his administration has made it a point of duty to implement all that Iwu listed earlier and that he will not relent in his efforts to ensure that before he leaves office, Imo workers will be the envy of other workers in the country.

Accepting the endorsement, Governor Uzodimma described it as a surprise.

He said it is “the Mother of all endorsements,” noting that “to whom much is giving much is expected.”

The Governor who gave a graphic relationship of his administration with workers since 2020, informed that he runs a transparent government and has never failed to celebrate the Workers Day with Imo workers since he assumed office, an indication of the importance he attaches to them as “partners, colleagues, friends, brothers and sisters.”

He maintained that he has tried to make the welfare of workers a priority and enjoined workers to also bear in mind that the employer is entitled to greater productivity.

He recalled that “on assumption of office there were no available data on Imo workers to work with hence there were initial inconveniences.”

He apologised to them over the inconveniences that arose trying to establish a data and asked the workers to think back and judge the situation they were into before and now.

The governor enjoined Imo workers to “refrain from any external interference meant to create and cause disharmony between Government and workers in Imo State,” emphasizing that his government “does not have records of sack of Civil Servants, Non-payment of workers and or Pensioners or declaring of verified workers as ghost workers.”

He maintained that no past administration has given Imo workers more attention than his administration and that “the claims of people out there are false and untrue,” and that whatever efforts his administration had made in the last three years was to be sure of what to do and how to do it well.

He bemoaned that some third forces are trying to cause crisis through the State to truncate the May 29 inauguration and warned that Imo State cannot be used for such.

The Governor who reaffirmed that “one with God is in the majority” told the workers that under his watch “no evil man will become Governor again in Imo State.”

He promised to drive government in a manner that government must create prosperity for the benefit of the common man, including the workers.

He announced that he had approved the payment of check-off dues to Labour Unions and had commenced the processes leading to the payment of gratuities to retried Pensioners.

He assured the workers that their expectations under his administration will not be disappointed, saying he is for them, noting that they should bear in mind that where they work is where they will eat.

On the perceived running battle between the NLC at the National and State NLC, the Governor said that he has no hands in the election of NLC in Imo State and that as a Governor he cannot be confused or distracted, hence under his administration Industrial synergy in Imo State is impeccable.

Concluding, he assured the workers who turned out in their numbers that “as soon as the revenue base of the State improves workers of the State will get higher pay and reviewed salaries.”

He proceeded to announce that in the next few days the Health Insurance Scheme will be launched to accommodate all sorts of ailments threatening the workers.

He said the scheme costs his government over N80 million monthly and enjoined the workers not to be afraid because “every good thing comes with initial difficulties.”

Governor Uzodimma had earlier taken a salute of enthusiastic workers during a march past.

Earlier in his remarks, the Head of Service of Imo State, Raymond Ucheoma had welcomed Imo workers to the celebration and thanked the Governor for being physically present as usual.

He highlighted the governor’s numerous and magnanimous welfare and attention to Imo workers which include rehabilitation of the State Secretariat, the free staff bus scheme, the ongoing promotions, the official vehicles to the Permanent Secretariats and prompt payment of salaries and pensions to serving and retired Imo workers, as well as the ease in official transactions in the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the Civil Service.

Present at the celebrations were the Deputy Governor, Prof Placid Njoku, the Speaker Imo State House of Assembly, Emeka Nduka, members of the Imo State Expanded Executive council and others.