Abuja – The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has called for the bridging of the salaries of public servants and political office holders in the country.
The NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday
Wabba said that the salaries of elected public officers consumed the chunk of the budget of the government.
“Look at the size of our budget; federal, state, local government, you will find out that a chunk of it is not even what workers are being paid because they provide service.
“But it’s what these few people, consume. You can see the salary of a senator, it’s on the media every day what they collect.
“What is the comparism between what a worker collects and a senator? I think we should have a basis of fixing numeration.
“If the highest office in the ministry is the permanent secretary, you must take inference from what he collects to be able to fix the salary of others.
“In South Africa, that is what happens. Even their increase in terms of salary review, is done in percentage as you are increasing the percentage it cut across board.
“So that the politician would not earn even his allowance more than the worker. If you look at the contour and comparism, its almost nothing differently substantial,‘’he said.
He said the harmonisation was imperative as both the workers, the permanent secretaries, senators, among others buys from the same market.
Wabba noted that N18,000 minimum wage for civil servants was unjustifiable in the present economic situation, while political office holders receive between three or four million Nara per month.
According to him, all Nigerians are entitled to a living wage and in keeping with their volume of work and productivity.
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Wabba stressed that the Federal Government should strike a balance in the take-home pay of civil servants who work seven days a week and the political office holders who spend less than a week.
He expressed disgust at the way the lawmakers conduct their legislative business with several adjournments and frequent absenteeism.
“So you can see there is a contradiction in whatever we are doing and that is why I think we have not gotten it right.
“I think that is an abuse of privilege and that should be discontinued”. (NAN)
