The Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) has called for an upward review of local government workers’ salary by 300 per cent to cushion the harsh economic effects of fuel subsidy removal.
The union further called for a single institution to fix the salaries of workers and those of the political office holders to ensure parity in line with the single market system operating across the country.
NULGE’s National President Olatunji Ambali, who spoke yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital during the inauguration of the union’s Hotels and Suites, said there was need for urgent implementation of the Stephen Orosanye panel’s report to save cost of governance.
Ambali said all Nigerians, including the political office holders, should be ready to make sacrifices.
The union leader called for a downward review of the salaries and wages of government appointees.
“I believe the government should review the Orosanye Report and restructure the ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) so that at the end of the day we cut down the cost of governance. Not only that. The retinue of aids should be cut down and the salaries and wages of the political office holders should be reviewed downwards.
“We operate within the same market system in the country. There is no reason to have two bodies fixing wages and salaries. Labour is of the opinion that we should either put the task on the Salaries and Wages Commission or allow the Revenue and Fiscal Commission to take up the responsibility so that there will be parity in salaries and the same instrument will be used to fix salaries.
“That is the way to go. It is time to make available palliatives to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal. We are shocked that after one month of the removal, nothing has been done by the Federal Government.
“We are confident that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu knows what he is doing. But delay could be dangerous. It is time for him to sit down and address that.
“Salaries of workers should be immediately reviewed upwards because it would rub off on the market people and other informal sectors. We demand that the salary of workers be increased by 300 per cent to cushion the effect of the pain we are going through,” he said.
