The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has issued a stern warning, threatening a month-long nationwide shutdown in response to the National Assembly’s move to deregulate the minimum wage.
Joe Ajaero, President of the NLC, made the declaration during the 67th Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Lagos. Ajaero emphasized that the minimum wage is a critical national issue and should not be subject to deregulation.
Ajaero expressed strong opposition to a proposal by a Joint Committee of the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Judiciary to transfer Section 34 from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List. This move would allow state governors to determine their own minimum wages, potentially abolishing a national standard.
“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,” Ajaero stated.
He warned that should the legislative bodies enact such a law, the NLC would mobilize a complete shutdown of the country. “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,” Ajaero asserted.
Ajaero underscored that organized labour would not tolerate any attempt by governors and National Assembly members to impose what he termed a “slave wage” on workers, which he believes would exacerbate poverty among Nigerian citizens.
“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,” Ajaero concluded.
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