NUJ Opposes De-listing of labour Matters From Exclusive Legislative List

The Nigeria Union of Journalists on Thursday, opposed the proposed de-listing of labour matters from the exclusive legislative list, to the concurrent list as currently being advocated by members of the National Conference.

The move, according to the union, was “an attempt to impoverish the entire workforce by trivialising labour matters.”

The NUJ, through a statement by its Vice Chairman, B-Zone, Mr. Dele Atunbi, to mark the 2014 Workers Day, therefore advocated the listing of labour matters in the exclusive legislative list “in which the enactments therein will be binding on all the states in the federation.” 

The union also renewed its advocacy for the implementation of a Special Media Salary Structure for journalists in the country. 

The statement lamented the high rate of poverty in the media industry and noted that media workers deserved a living wage due to their workload and the manhours being put in
by them.

It stressed the need for all industrial unions in the media industry to come together and work for the actualisation of the Media Salary Structure.

The development,the NUJ believed, would “take media workers out of the present economic doldrums in-spite of their enormous contributions to the socio – economic development of the country.”

It decried the high rate of poverty in the land as a result of corruption with impunity and also called on all relevant authorities to fix all the dilapidated roads across the country.

The statement added, “The union is particularly not happy with the sale of petrol above the approved pump price as well as the criminal silence of the Federal Government over the matter in the last three months.

“It asserts that the sale of fuel above the approved pump price without Federal government’s intervention as a deliberate attempt by the Nigerian government to further impoverish Nigerians.

“It therefore advise labour movement in the country particularly the Trade Union Congress and the Nigeria Labour Congress to be alive to their responsibilities by advocating living wage for the entire workforce in the face of the present economic meltdown.”

The NUJ described the current salary regime in the country as a slave wage, stressing that the situation must be abated forthwith. 

It called on the workers to celebrate with a solemn reflection on the increasing rate of poverty in the land as well as the seemingly insurmountable security challenges facing the country.