The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP) has called on the Federal Government to urgently conclude the process for the new national minimum wage to prevent potential workers’ unrest. The appeal was made during the 72nd General Executive Council (GEC) meeting held at Federal Polytechnic, Auchi in Edo State.
In a communique issued at the end of the meeting, SSANIP expressed dismay at the Federal and State Governments’ slow pace in finalising the new minimum wage law, which needed to be updated as the current one expired on April 18, 2024.
The association warned that failure to address the issue promptly could lead to workers’ unrest, which would be detrimental to the country’s economic progress. In the communique signed by the SSANIP National President, Comrade Philip Ogunsipe, and its National Secretary, Comrade Nura Shehu Gaya, the association lauded the efforts of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in negotiating the new wage and urged President Bola Tinubu to fulfil his promise of providing Nigerian workers with a living wage.
During the meeting, SSANIP discussed various issues impacting the polytechnic sector and its members and expressed concerns over national security, and economic conditions while calling for urgent economic policy reforms to alleviate the hardships being faced by Nigerians.