The Nigeria labour Congress and its affricates mobilized its members in protest against the decision of the Senate to decentralise the minimum wage by moving labour issues from the Executive list to the co-current list
Address the rally, Mr. Abdulwahed Omar, the President, of the NLC, said that the proposal had serious implications for national security, productivity and wellbeing of the low-income earners. He noted that if given the opportunity to fix their respective minimum wages, state governments would not hesitate to pay as low as N1, 000 to their workers in spite of the huge resources available to them.
The General Secretary Comrade Issa Aremu mni while address the rally said that labour issues can’t be left at the mercies of Nigeria Governors, he also said that among all oil producing nation Nigeria workers are the least paid with $114 par month that the struggle will continue until the senate revease their decision on the put labour issues back on the Exclusive List
The NLC notes with concern he said that the efforts by the Senate to remove the national Minimum Wage Law from the Exclusive List in defiance of reason, popular opinion and protection of the interest of the weak and the vulnerable.
The removal will unnecessarily expose Nigerian workers, especially, those in the low-income bracket, with grave implications for security, productivity and national wellbeing, as most state governments if given the latitude, will pay wages as low as N1,000 per month in spite of the relatively enormous resources available to them.
In his address, Gov. Adams Oshiomhole of Edo told the Senate President that the removal of the minimum wage would deny workers of major social security from their employers.
He said the minimum wage was both for the private and the public workers, urging the National Assembly to revisit the issue in the interest of all.
He said the consequences of removing labour issues from the exclusive to the concurrent list were beyond wages.
He concluded on the note that If the senate went ahead with its decision, all the states in the country would withdraw basic protection for workers. In most cases, workers do not have voice and the removal will make some employers to start paying N5, 000 to their employees. He also said that If we don’t need anything call National Minimum Wage, then, we don’t need a National Parliament.
The Senate President, David Mark, while reacting on the comments assured Nigerian workers that the National Assembly will revisit the removal of the National minimum wage from the Exclusive List.
He said the National Assembly would be `just and fair’ in addressing the deadlock arising from the review of the national minimum wage. He said the joint committee of the House and the Senate would meet on the issue and looked at the position of the labour movement.“As the Chairman of the National Assembly, I accept all
responsibilities on the removal of the minimum wage from the exclusive list. “I want to tell you that, we worked and arrived at the decisions with all sincerity and I can assure you that we will correct whatever anomalies arising from it he said
