MINIMUM WAGE: NLC to storm National Assembly in protest

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has concluded plans to protest at the National Assembly on Monday against the N27,000 new minimum wage bill sent to the legislators by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Central Working Committee of the NLC stated this on Friday after its emergency meeting.

The NLC CWC also insisted that the N30,000 agreed by the tripartite committee that deliberated on the issue must be respected.

President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, who spoke to journalists at the end of the meeting, vowed that the union would take action against the bill if the protest failed to produce the desired result.

The Federal Government adopted the N27,000 minimum wage after the Council of State meeting recommended that N27,000 should be paid as minimum wage to civil servants in states while federal civil servants get N30,000.

According to Wabba, the FG or any other body lacked the power to change the figure that was earlier agreed on by the tripartite committee except a process was followed by all parties concerned, adding that what the FG had done was against the convention of the International Labour Organisation.

Read also: MINIMUM WAGE: Reps fault Council of State for approving N27,000

He said: “The meeting deliberated on one item, which is the issue of the transmission of the national minimum wage bill to the National Assembly.

“The meeting reviewed the whole situation, including the fact that N30,000 was agreed at the tripartite negotiating meeting to be the minimum wage.

“Going by the convention of the ILO, the figure that was agreed on by the tripartite committee cannot be changed by any of the parties except through a process. Government as an employer cannot unilaterally change the figure. This is about law and procedure. Therefore, the CWC has rejected the issue of reducing the figure. We still maintain that we stand on the outcome of the tripartite committee.

“We will mobilise our members and engage the National Assembly on the issue. The negotiation must be respected and NASS should do the needful.

“We have put our members on the alert that if that is not done, certainly we will take action to protect and ensure that the tripartite process is respected. That has been the process according to the provision of ILO convention on minimum wage mechanism.”

Continuing, Wabba said: “When you look at N30,000, it is a compromised position in the context of today’s economy of Nigeria. We should be commended. As far back as 2011, the N18,000 minimum wage was equivalent to $150, but today, the N30,000 is less than $100.”

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