By Victor Ahiuma-Young
LAGOS—NATIONAL Union of Civil Engineering, Construction, Furniture an Wood Workers (NUCECFWW), weekend, warned that any attempt to exclude workers in the construction sector from the new minimum wage through legislation, would not be accepted.

The union threatd that the entire sector would be shut to ensure that workers in the industry were not discriminated against.

Chairman of National Incomes and Wages Commission, Chief Richard Egbule, was quoted in the media to have said that workers in three sectors, agriculture, construction and shipping would be exempted from the new minimum wage when it becomes operational.

Egbule was quoted to have added that the minimum wage covers any employer that engages staff from 50 and above with the exception of those engaged in agriculture which is seasonal, construction and some parts of shipping because of the conditions of work in those areas.

Western Zone meeting

Addressing leaders of the union in Western Zone, comprising Lagos, Osun, Oyo, Ondo, Eki, Edo and Delta states, in Lagos, on the new minimum wage,  President-General of NUCECFWW, Comrade Samuel Adeoye, declared that  the union would not accept any plan by government through National Incomes and Wages Commission,  to exempt construction workers from enjoying the new wage.

He said: “We were saddened by the statement of the Chairman of the Income and Wages Commission. We do not know the criteria they used in arriving at such a decision.”

As we view it as a very dangerous sign. That means that government want to give our employers to do and undo and this is unacceptable to us. If any the private sectors are being exempted, it would be understandable.  These three sectors cannot be segregated as we are part of the private sector and go to the same market. We are going to fight this policy of government to the end.”

He advised the Commission to retrace its step to avoid instigating industrial unrest in the sector.

He berated CEgbule for making such pronouncement which he said was capable of inducing industrial crisis in the sector, arguing that the government was given employers in the sector the power to take decisions that would be detrimental to the construction workers.

Continuing, Comrade Adeoye, questioned the criteria used by National Incomes and Wages Commission in arriving at such decision, saying that there was no moral justification to exempt workers in those three sectors from benefitting from the new minimum wage like their counterparts in the private sector.