AS the food crisis bites harder in the country, Nigerian workers have demanded immediate and urgent increase in wages and salaries.
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Abdulwahed Omar, said on Wednesday that workers needed an immediate salary increase or a pay rise that would be commensurate with their labour and enable them to live decently.
Besides, the congress president, who did not give the percentage of increase required from the government, stated that such increase should take into consideration, the economic situation in the country, especially the continued rise in prices of food.
The NLC President, who hinted that the workers might make the formal demand at the May Day ceremony today, stated that workers in the country were not fairly treated
Omar, who was speaking while receiving the Chairman of Senate Committee on Labour, Senator Wilson Ake, and the Senate Committee Chairman on Industry, Senator Kamarudeen Adedibu, who had visited the NLC President in preparation for today�s celebration, said the demand of the workers was sequel to the high cost of living facing the workers and citizenry.
The NLC President said: �For tomorrow, the workers are going to raise a lot of issues concerning corruption, inflation, cost of living generally and don�t be surprised if workers will formally make presentation to demand for higher pay commensurate to their labour.
�If you consider what is going on in this country, the workers are not fairly treated and we intend to make it clear that Nigerian workers deserve commensurate pay for the work they do and it is the pay that will make them live decent lives.�
He commended the lawmakers on the ongoing probe of power sector in which over $16 billion was said to have been squandered by the last administration.
But the labour leader challenged the Senate to ensure that necessary legislations were put in place to protect the small-scale industries and revive companies that have shut down operations, including the over 100 textile industries.
Senator Ake lauded the NLC for its role in democratic development in the country and also supported the fact that Nigerian workers were not catered for.
He assured the NLC of Senate�s support in its quest to ensure better living condition for workers across the country.
The Senate Labour Committee chairman said: �The Senate, as you can see today, is labour-friendly and we want to assure you that we are going to work with you, we are going to support your quest for decent workplace, decent pay packages, decent welfare for our Nigerian workers.�
Meanwhile, in what appears to be a fall-out of the food crisis, an expectant housewife, Kuburat Lawal, on Wednesday appeared before the Yaba Chief Magistrate�s Court in Lagos for allegedly stabbing her husband to death over feeding allowance.
The accused, 23, was charged with killing Salihu Lawal, a commercial bus driver, with a knife after refusing to collect N800 as allowance from him, describing it as too meagre.
According to the prosecutor, ASP Okoronkwo Okorie, the deceased had said he would give the rejected amount to his girlfriend.
�This made Kuburat to be angry and she took a knife and stabbed her husband on the stomach several times,�� Okorie alleged.
The prosecutor said that the incident occurred at the couple�s residence, No. 80, Kadara Street, Ebute Metta.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Kuburat came to the court with her one-year-old boy.
The court could not take her plea as Chief Magistrate Christiana Adesola-Ikpatt ordered her to be remanded in prison pending the advice of the state�s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).