Nigerians mark workers' day despite fuel scarcity, economic hardship as NLC insist on new 'living wage'

May 1st na public holiday for Nigeria and na day to celebrate workers for di kontri and dia contributions to di economy.

Di day dey regarded as Workers Day, some dey call am Labour Day as well but na still part of how di world dey celebrate di 2024 International Labour Day.

Since wen President Bola Tinubu don enta office, dis na di first Workers Day wey im go observe and im send message to celebrate di workers day dis year.

Na on 29 May 2023, Tinubu dey sworn-in as di president of Nigeria and since dat time, im don dey lead di kontri and di economy of di nation.

President Tinubu speech to Nigerian workers

President Tinubu send message give Nigerian workers as dem celebrate dia day.

Di president say im administration remain committed to improve di welfare of all workers.

“Dis administration remain committed to improving di welfare of all workers, wit di various relief programmes, including di wage award and di imminent minimum wage review.” E tok for statement to mark di day.

Tinubu appreciate all type of workers wey dey do dia best to keep di nation alive.

Im appreciate di clerical officer wey dey ensure di proper documentation and distribution of letters and also di security officer wey remain dutiful through all seasons.

“President Tinubu celebrate Nigerian workers across all spheres - di teacher wey dey secure di future of our nation by imparting knowledge to di next generation; di doctor wey dey work relentlessly to save precious lives, and to all Nigerian workers”.

Minimum wage and workers salary

Workers day na also day to look into di plight of workers and sometimes make demands.

Na for different times NLC and oda labour unions don call on di federal goment to increase di minimum wage since Tinubu enta office.

Dis na sake of di rising cost of food prices for market and even di cost of living wey dey bite hard on di pipo.

For one speech wey President Tinubu bin give for July 2023, Im promise say increase for workers salary dey come.

E say im dey work wit labour unions to introduce a new national minimum wage for workers.

"Once we agree on a new minimum wage and general upward review, we go make provision for am for immediate implementation," di president tok.

But many of di increase no go well wit di labour unions as dem dey demand up to N615,000 as di new minimum wage wey go fit cater for workers wey dey face hard times for di current economy situation.

Since wen di minimum wage bin dey increased to N30,000 - many state goment neva even begin dey pay dat kain amount as many workers still earn below.

An earlier statement from Tinubu desk a day before say di president don approve increase of salary for civil servants.

“President Tinubu administration don approve an increase of between 25% and 35% for salary increase for civil servants on di remaining six consolidated salary structures.”

Those for di Tertiary Education and Health Sectors bin don already receive dia increase wey involve Consolidated University Academic Salary Structure (CONUASS) and Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS) for universities.

For Polytechnics and Colleges of Education, e involve di Consolidated Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Salary Structure (CONPCASS) and Consolidated Tertiary Educational Institutions Salary Structure (CONTEDISS).

Di Health Sector benefit through di Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and Consolidated Health Sector Salary Structure (CONHESS).

Di increase wey dem announce on Tuesday also include di pensions for those wey dey retire from civil service. Im announce increase in pension of between 20% and 28% for pensioners.

Di salary structures go take effect from 1st January 2024.

Recently, Edo State Govnor Godwin Obaseki also bin approve new minimum wage for civil servants for di state.

Di govnor increase di minimum wage from N40,000 go N70,000 and e go take effect from 1 May, 2024.

Cross River State governor, Bassey Otu also announce payment of N40,000 as di living wage for di least paid civil servants for di state during di 2024 Workers’ Day celebration for di U.J Esuene Sports Stadium, Calabar, di Cross River State capital.

"I wish to announce say di least paid worker for Cross River State Civil Service go begin earn di sum of N40,000.00 (Forty Thousand Naira) only as a living wage,”

E say dem don begin work out modalities for immediate implementation and e charge evri worker for di state to respond well to dis new wage by doubling dia efforts for dia assigned duties.

Fuel scarcity for Nigeria

Plenti pipo from different parts of Nigeria dey face fuel scarcity and e dey even bite harder.

Di effects of di current scarcity hit many states wey be say workers no fit go work.

Some petrol stations dey sell one litre for about N720, N750, N800. For black market, pipo dey buy as high as N1000 per litre even as queue dey increase for different petrol stations especially for Lagos.

BBC Pidgin speak to Bashir Ahmed Dan Mallam, wey be di chairman of Arewa Oil and Gas Marketers Association (AOGMA), di association of petroleum dealers for northern Nigeria, and e try to break down di major things we dey lead to di current scarcity.

Dan Mallam tok say na smaller vessels dey bring petroleum products into di kontri sake of a number of reasons, and also because na dis smaller vessels go fit reach some ports like di Bonny Terminal for Rivers State and di Escravos Terminal for Delta State.

Anoda reason, according to Dan Mallam, na di Russia/Ukraine war, wey don make oda European companies to boycott Russian vessels, and also to shun anybodi wey dey patronise dem.

President of di Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN), Billy Gillis-Harry, on Monday tok say di major reason for di current scarcity na becos NNPC neva supply marketers wit di product.

How di economy bad reach now?

Overall, annual inflation, wey be di average rate wey prices of tin dey take go up, dey near 30% now - di highest figure for nearly 30 years.

Di cost of food don rise well well - by 35%.

Many pipo dey ration di food wey dem get and dem dey also look for cheaper alternatives.

For northern Nigeria, some pipo dey eat di rice wey dem dey troway from factory during di milling process. Dem dey usually use dis bad rice to feed fish.

Pipo share am well-well for social media, videos wey show how some pipo dey reduce di sizes of food wey dem dey chop.

One clip show one woman wey dey cut fish into nine pieces instead of di average four to five pieces.

Dem hear her as she dey tok say her goal na to make sure say her family fit eat fish at least two times a week.