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Labour Knocks Governors For Rejecting N60,000

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On Saturday, members of the organized labor, including both the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), criticized the 36 governors for claiming they couldn’t meet the N60,000 minimum wage.

The two labour leaders described the governors’ comment and actions towards the Nigerian workers as act of wickedness, while calling on them to have a rethink before “danger ahead explodes”.

Daily Trust reports that the governors through the Director Media and Public Affairs of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Hajiya Halimah Salihu Ahmed, disclosed on Friday that they couldn’t afford N60,000 that was proposed by the federal government.

But reacting to the governors’ action, the organised labour, through the Head of Information and Public Affairs at the NLC headquarters, Benson Upah, wondered why governors forget that the price of fuel, dollar against Naira among other things have gone up astronomically.

“We are alarmed by the statement credited to the Nigeria Governors Forum that state governments cannot even afford to pay N60,000 as minimum wage as ‘a few states will end up borrowing to pay workers every month’.

“We do believe the governors have acted in bad faith. It is unheard of for such a statement be issued to the world in the middle of an ongoing negotiation. It is certainly in bad taste,” Upah said in a statement.

Speaking on the governors’ claim, the two labour centres said nothing can be further from the truth that FAAC allocations have since moved from “N700 billion to N1.2 trillion making the governments extremely rich at the expense of the people.”

According to them, “All that the governors need to do to be able to pay a reasonable national minimum wage (not even the N60,000) is cut on the high cost of governance, minimise corruption as well as prioritise the welfare of workers.

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“It is important to explain here that a national minimum wage is not synonymous with the different pay structures of different states. The national minimum wage is the lowest floor below which no employer is allowed to pay.

“The aim is to protect the weak and the poor. We are not fixated with figures but value. Those who argue that moving the national minimum wage from N30,000 to N60,000 is sufficiently good enough miss the point.

“In 2019, when N30,000 became the minimum, N300 exchanged for $1 (effectively making the minimum wage an equivalent of $100 or thereabout) while inflation rate was 11.40.

“At the moment the exchange rate is at N1,600 to $1 while inflation hovers at 33.7% (40% for food). This puts the value of the minimum wage at $37.5 for a family of six. This is happening at a time costs of everything rose by more than 400% as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy.

“This is an extreme bad news for the poor. Government’s policies of fuel subsidy removal, mindless devaluation of the Naira, energy tariff hike by 250% and interest rate hike by 26.5% will continue to hurt the economy (especially manufacturing sector) and the poor.

“Already manifest is the mass incapacity of Nigerians leading to overflowing warehouses of the productive sector of the economy. The downward trend will continue except the capacity of workers and businesses is enhanced.

“Paying a miserable national minimum wage portends grave danger to not only the workforce but the national economy as in truth, economies of most states are driven by workers wages.

“In light of this, we urge the governors to do a re-think and save the country from a certain death.”

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China Blasts ‘Destructive’ US in Brutal Response as Tariff War Heats Up –

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China is telling the United States to stop acting like it’s being treated unfairly by the rest of the world. In a recent article from China Daily, they pushed back strongly against Donald Trump’s claims that other countries are cheating the US in global trade. China is saying that the US is not a victim at all, and the real problem lies within the US itself.

According to the article, the US has been living a lifestyle it can’t really afford. It buys more things than it produces, borrows money to keep its economy going, and has moved a lot of its manufacturing jobs to other countries. China argues that the US is now blaming other nations for problems it created on its own. For example, when the US sees a trade deficit — which means it buys more from a country than it sells — it assumes it’s being cheated. But China says this is a misunderstanding of how trade works.

They explain that just because the US buys more goods from other countries doesn’t mean it’s being taken advantage of. In fact, the US makes a lot of money by selling services, like tech, finance, and media, to the rest of the world. So overall, the US actually benefits from global trade more than it wants to admit…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

The article also criticizes the US for starting a trade war based on this false belief. Donald Trump raised tariffs on Chinese goods, making it more expensive for American businesses and shoppers to buy them. China responded by raising tariffs on US goods too. Instead of helping the situation, this back-and-forth has only made things worse for both sides. China describes these tariffs as reckless and harmful, saying they don’t solve anything and only create more problems. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

China is also frustrated because while the US complains about unfair treatment, it still expects to have the biggest say in how global trade is run. China believes the US wants to make all the rules, but doesn’t want to play by them. That kind of attitude, they say, is not helpful.

The article finishes by saying that instead of complaining and making threats, the US should work together with other countries to build a fair and modern trade system. One that benefits everyone, not just a few powerful countries. China’s message is clear: stop blaming others, take responsibility, and start acting like a real partner in the global economy.

 

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Vladimir Putin Offers to End War If Trump Agrees to This One Shocking Deal –

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On April 22, a report from the Financial Times, shared by Reuters, said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered to stop the war in Ukraine but only if the front lines stay where they are right now. This idea was brought up as part of talks with former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is trying to play a role in negotiating peace.

According to the report, Putin had this conversation in St. Petersburg earlier this month with Steve Witkoff, who is known to be close to Trump and is acting as his special representative in the talks. During their meeting, Putin reportedly said that Russia might be willing to give up its claims to certain parts of Ukraine specifically, areas within four regions that are only partially controlled by Russian forces and still have Ukrainian troops in them…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

What Putin seems to be suggesting is a deal where Russia would stop advancing, and the war would basically freeze in place. That means the land Russia already controls would stay under its control, but they wouldn’t push further into Ukraine. In exchange, Russia would no longer demand the rest of the territories they originally wanted.

This is a big shift, if true, because until now, Russia has been fighting to take over more of Ukraine. Freezing the war could be seen as a way to stop the bloodshed without either side officially “winning.” But it’s important to note that neither side—Russia or Ukraine—has officially agreed to this yet, and Ukraine has said many times that they want all of their land back, including Crimea, which Russia took in 2014. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

Trump’s involvement in the talks is also a major detail, since he isn’t currently president. However, with the U.S. elections coming up, it shows that behind-the-scenes discussions are already happening about what the future of the war could look like depending on who’s in charge.

So far, there hasn’t been an official confirmation from the Russian or U.S. governments about the offer, and Ukraine hasn’t made a public comment on this specific report. But if these talks are real, they could be an early sign that both sides are looking for a way to end the war—even if it means making big compromises.

 

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12 States Sue Trump Over ‘Illegal’ Tariffs That Could Send Prices Soaring and Jobs Disappearing –

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Twelve U.S. states have taken legal action against the Trump administration, accusing it of unlawfully raising taxes on Americans through tariffs. These tariffs were put in place using a law called the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), which gives the president special powers during national emergencies. But the lawsuit argues that this law was never meant to be used to create tariffs and that Trump has gone beyond what the law allows.

The states claim that in the 50 years since the law was created, no president has used it to put tariffs in place, even during times when the country faced serious drug-related issues or major trade deficits. They believe Congress never intended for the law to be used in this way…Click Here To Continue Reading>> …Click Here To Continue Reading>>

 

This group of states joins others who have already sued the Trump administration over the same issue. A group of small businesses and a civil rights organization have also filed lawsuits saying the administration doesn’t have the legal authority to impose these tariffs.

The Trump administration argues that the U.S. trade deficit is a national emergency, which gives the president the right to act under the IEEPA. But the states disagree, saying the tariffs will actually hurt Americans by making everyday goods more expensive, increasing inflation, and costing people their jobs. READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>

The attorneys general from New York, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, and Vermont filed the lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade. They’re asking the court to block the tariffs and stop other global tariffs that had been paused earlier this month from going into effect.

New York’s Attorney General, Letitia James, said Trump had promised to reduce costs for Americans, but his tariffs are doing the opposite and could seriously damage the economy.

California also filed its own separate lawsuit, saying the tariffs have already caused serious harm to the state and its residents.

 

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