The Nigeria Labour Congress has threatened to shut down the country for a month in protest against plans by the National Assembly to deregulate the national minimum wage.
NLC’s threat came as the nation awaits a new national minimum wage following months of negotiations between Organised Labour, the Federal Government, and the Organised Private Sector.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, declared the position of the union while speaking on the sidelines of the 67th Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association Annual General Meeting in Lagos.
Ajaero said, “As we are here, a Joint Committee of the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Judiciary are meeting. They have decided to remove section 34 from the Exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list so that the state governors can determine what to pay you and so that there will be no minimum wage again. You cannot decide what you should earn.
“The very moment the House of Representatives and the Senate come up with such a law that will not benefit Nigerian workers, they will be their drivers and gatemen, and there will be no movement for one month. We cannot accept any situation where the governors and the National Assembly members will foist a slave wage on workers and force poverty on the citizens. Organised Labour will not accept it.”
According to the NLC president, the International Labour Organisation recognises wage as a national law, saying it is not for the sub-nationals.
The labour leader maintained that “every country has their minimum wage and some states are paying higher than the basic minimum wage, and that is the position of the law anywhere”.
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