Organised Labour Ready To Take Minimum Wage Struggle To NASS

The organised labour has concluded plans to shift it minimum wage struggle to the National Assembly, to have lawmakers accept and approve N30,000 for workers.

The President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr Bobboi Kaigama, made this known in an interview with the labour correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

This move is in reaction to the the approval made by the National Council of State, which on Jan. 22, approved N30, 000 as minimum wage for federal workers and 27,000 for states.

The Nigerian government have locked horns with the organised labour since 2016 over a long overdue minimum wage for public sector workers.

“If President Muhammadu Buhari takes the N27, 000 agreed by the National Council of State to the lawmakers, organised labour will provide necessary documents and agreements reached by the tripartite committee to lobby for N30, 000,’’ Kaigama said.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had earlier this week lashed out at Nigeria Council of State, which consists of former heads of state and other government functionaries, over its decision to adopt N27, 000 as its proposed minimum wage.

Naija News understands that a tripartite committee set up by the government on minimum wage sat for one year and recommended N30, 000 but the sum was rejected by many state governors, who said that the sum was too much.

Similarly, the President of the United Labour Congress, Mr Joe Ajaero, described the decision by the council of state on the issue as unlawful.

“If the Federal Government approved the payment of N27,000 to workers, it will be a wage award and not a national minimum wage because it negates the agreement reached by the National Tripartite Committee.’’  he said.

Also speaking, the Head of the International Relations Unit of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Mr Uche Ekwe, condemned the council’s decision on the matter.

According to Ekwe, it will be needless for any further meeting either by the council of state or technical committee after the tripartite committee has concluded and reached an agreement.

He said that workers in states, local councils and especially those in the private sector deserved to be paid N30, 000 as minimum wage.