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NLC Storms National Assembly

…Protests  attempts to move minimum wage to concurrent list

By Ignatius Okorocha

 Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday stormed the National Assembly complex in their numbers protesting   move by the apex legislature to transfer the national minimum wage from exclusive to concurrent list respectively.

Recall that the anger of the organized labour is fueled  by a bill sponsored by Garba Datti, that seeks to move the minimum wage from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list.

The bill in question has scaled second reading in the House of Representatives and  referred to the House Committee on constitutional amendment.

The implication is that the state governments will determine the minimum wage to be paid to workers under their pay roll.

In his written petition to the leadership of the National Assembly, National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC),comrade Ayuba Wabba in company of leaders of other affiliate union’s said the proposed  bill was anti labour laws and  aganist the interest of Nigeria workers.

Wabba said  the national minimium wage  was not a Nigerian standard  but an international standard , noting that 26 countries of the world have minimiun wage as part of  their exclusive list including the United States of America. 

He said the current national mininim wage was negotiated with all stakeholders including the state governments before it became Law .

He explained that the NLC would resist any move to deny Nigerians  in the state  and  local  governments payment of  minimium  wage 

Responding, Deputy Chief Whip of  Senate ,Sen.Sabi Abdulahi (APC Niger) who represented the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan said  the Senate would stand with Nigerian workers as it had always done.

He said it was not possible for any one to pass a bill that would affect the interest of Nigerian workers,given the practice of democracy in Nigeria.

Abdulahi said the senate was representing the interest of Nigerian workers and hence takes the payment of salaries of workers seriously.

He said the NLC had made their point by staging the protest, noting that the senate would stand by the workers to protect their rights and Previlages.

He said the senate would ensure that justice was  done to the petition presented by NLC on the issue.

NLC members who  besiged the National Assembly complex had some inscription like “Pay us our minimum wage”, autonomy to local government”, minimum wage payment would boost the economy  among other inscriptions.”

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