by Collins Nnabuife
A renowned public sector reform advocate, Mallam Salihu Isa Nataro, has said that following the upward reviewed minimum wage, Nigeria’s labour leaders have succeeded in forcing the Federal Government to consider undertaking the much-needed downsizing of the workforce.
He also urged the National Assembly to ensure that the welfare of Nigerian workers was not trampled upon by incessant labour disputes over wages.
Nataro, who is also a finance expert, said that the last nationwide strike action was enough trigger for the Federal Government to “use its tools to reform the civil service structure by transiting workers on Grade Level 10 and below into contract employees.”
He argued that doing so would enable government to avoid a complete shutdown as well as give the authorities the impetus and upper hand to fire and hire within a short period.
The Kebbi State-born politician further noted that while the global economic outlook continues to witness downturns, labour should not make outrageous wage demands to compound the situation in Nigeria.
He therefore implored the Federal Government to reflect on a sustainable wage structure taking into consideration the oversized civil service arrangement with many duplication of functions.
“There are too many ministries, parastatals, and agencies that push the Federal Government into unnecessary spending at a time when security problems, including kidnappings and insurgency, are keeping farmers out of farms.
“Government should at this time look at the issue of pension eligibility and increase the number of years for any public official to be entitled to pension. I believe that 25 years of service is reasonable enough and in line with the world economic order,” he asserted.
Furthermore, he pleaded with labour leaders to reflect on the suffering of Nigerian masses and ensure that strikes do not become instruments of further national torment.
According to Nataro, “Labour should think of how best to cut down the civil service, create monetisation Act, increase pension period and support the current administration’s efforts to industrialise the country.
“Pegging the minimum wage above one hundred naira is acceptable, especially in a situation where about 50 per cent of the population are unemployed and the bulk of civil servants are unproductive.”
He said Nigerians should be worried by the rising scale of national debt, stressing that the National Assembly as the highest law-making organ in the country should sit down with Labour to discuss the way forward in order to avert labour disputes.
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