As the count down to the deadline for the passage of a new minimum wage approaches, the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) has urged the federal government to match its words with actions and ensure that the new minimum wage is implemented in or before September.

The union in a communiqué reached at the end of its 70th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting said it is opposed to any action aimed at delaying this process.

According to the communique jointly signed by the NCSU president, Comrade Lawrence Amaechi and acting general secretary, Yahaya Ndako the union expressed concern over what it described as the inconsistencies in the utterances and body language of the federal government in actualising the September 2018 deadline of the minimum wage.

“To this end, therefore the NEC urges the federal government to match its words with actions so that the high expectations of workers on the implementation of the new minimum wage would be realised on or before September, 2018. Failure, the entire members of the union will not take it with levity,” the communique stated.

The union also decried the high and intimidating rate of unemployment in Nigeria, saying it poses very serious security risk and threat to peace and national unity.

“NEC therefore calls on the federal government to look inwards and device a policy that will generate massive employment opportunities for able-bodied Nigerian youths. In this direction, infrastructural and industrial development should be at the front burner of the government so as to nip in the bud, possible revolution that may erupt as a result of massive unemployment in Nigeria today”.

In the same vein, the union passed a vote of no confidence on Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State over what it described as the governor’s anti labour policies in the state.

“The 70th NEC condemns without reservations the anti-workers policies of Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, and further urged him to pay the salaries and pensions of workers and retirees in the state.

“The meeting further passed a vote of no confidence on the Imo State governor and urged workers to, issue ‘Red Card’ to the governor and all his stooges including every other state governors lacking in conscience and who believe that workers in their states must be poor and worthless”.

The NEC-in-session condemned the spate of consistent and unwarranted killings and bloodsheds in Nigeria and observed with pains and regrets that the killings are synonymous with ethnic and religious cleansing. It described the killings and kidnappings as major threats to national unity, masking other issues that should get national attention.

Hence it urged the federal government to as a matter of urgency, overhaul its security architecture and apparatus so as to enable the security operatives arrest the collapse in the security sector headlong. The union promised to continue to raise her voice against actions that pose a threat to peaceful coexistence and survival of Nigeria project.

“The 70th NEC applauds the bold and proactive steps taken by the President of Nigeria Labour Congress to report the Federal Government of Nigeria to ILO, on their obnoxious and draconian Labour bill aimed at distorting our Industrial Relations landscape. NCSU notes that any attempt to pass a bill that negates or violates ILO Convention 98, would be vehemently resisted by organised Labour,” the union warns.