By Chris Ochayi
ABUJA—Following the planned nationwide strike by the organised labour over the Federal Government’s refusal to implement the N18.000 new National Minimum Wage, the Labour Party, LP,  has expressed solidarity with organised labour,saying it is fighting a genuine cause.

The Party’s National Chairman, Mr Dan Nwayanwu, who stated this in a statement yesterday, said the workers’ demand was justified and genuine given the current rate of inflation in the country.

According to him: “There is no time for government’s usual rhetoric and endless negotiations because the working people of Nigeria have suffered for too long and government just has to perform and implement the Justice Alfa Belgore’s led tripartite committee on the new wage.”

The LP’s Chairman described as callous the inability of government to pay workers their dues, since independence, argued that the working people of Nigeria had been creating wealth for the nation which the leaders had been squandering.

He said: “All the developments in FCT and other state capitals are made possible by the workers through hard work and commitment, all they have been paid back with is massive looting at the expense of those who generated the wealth.

Labour Party sides with the workers and will match side-by-side with them to Aso Rock and other places they are protesting to so as to make the implementation possible.”

He called on President Jonathan, who himself is a worker not to waste time in ensuring the bill is presented to the National Assembly for quick and prompt accelerated debates.

Mr.Nwayanwu stressed further that, “It is a matter for regret hat since independence, successive government had never on its own implement wage raise without a strike. One would have thought that President Jonathan will make a difference.

“Time has come for government to put on its thinking cap and put in place strategies whereby salaries will be automatically increased.

“The take home pay of workers can hardly take them to bus stop. This is one of the reasons Nigerian workers should see Labour Party as their only partners in progress in this struggle for a better remuneration.

He therefore advised all well meaning Nigerians to prevail on the government to do the right thing on time because the cost of the strike on economy will be far greater than what it will take to implement the new wage.