- Ayuba Wabba, the NLC president, says a new national minimum wage of N30,000 has been agreed upon by government, labour and employers in the private sector
- Wabba states that the alleged threats by governors to sack workers over the N30,000 national minimum wage cannot be used to intimidate labour
- The NLC president accuses political office holders of been bent on enslaving Nigerian workers with peanuts mislabeled as salaries
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC ) has condemned the reported threat by the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), to sack workers if the new national minimum wage of N30,000 is implemented.
Ayuba Wabba, NLC president, in a statement issued on Thursday, November 15, in Abuja, said the threat was not new.
Wabba was reacting to the statement made by the Chairman of NGF, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, governor of Zamfara, threatening to sack workers on the account of the new national minimum wage of N30, 000, The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
He said that the process of negotiation by the tripartite social partners for a new wage has ended and a new National Minimum Wage of N30,000 agreed upon by government, labour and employers in the private sector.
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According to Wabba, the threat to sack workers is not new in the struggle for review of national minimum wage.
“Therefore, the current one by the governor of Zamfara cannot be used to intimidate labour.
“The consequences of workers retrenchment are too grievous for any political office holder truly elected by the people to contemplate.
“Few political office holders are bent on enslaving Nigerian workers with peanuts mislabeled as salaries.
“We urge such elected public officials to subject their humongous salaries and allowances, reputed to be among the highest in the world to public perusal.
“Pro rata with the minimum wage they want to force down the throats of Nigerian workers," he said.
Wabba urged each of the state governor to go to their respective state and inform workers on their individual position on the new national minimum wage of N30, 000.
The NLC president further urged workers to remain steadfast and firm on their rights to decent wages and improved living conditions.
“To the oppressors, we have only one answer for you, we will never sleep on our rights.
“We hereby reiterate our directive to Nigerian workers to vote out any politician or political party that refuses to pay the new national minimum wage of N30, 000.
“We shall continue to consolidate our efforts to strengthen already existing platforms and structures to give teeth to our resolve to vote out anti-labour governors and politicians in the forthcoming 2019 general election," Wabba said.
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He called on President Muhammadu Buhari to speedily present to the National Assembly the bill on the national minimum wage for appropriate amendment and implementation.
“It would interest Nigerians to know that the new national minimum wage of N30,000 was a product of intense and robust negotiations at the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Negotiation Committee that lasted for one year.
“At the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Negotiation Committee, state governments were represented by six states, one state from each of the six geo-political zones," he said.
Legit.ng had reported that the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) says it will re-strategize and dialogue with President Muhammadu Buhari on the issues associated with the proposed N30, 000 minimum wage.
To drive the process, the forum has constituted a committee to meet the president to work out a formula to quickly resolve the issues.
Chairman of the forum and Governor of Zamfara, Alhaji Abdul’aziz Yari, told newsmen at the end of an emergency meeting of the governors on Wednesday, November 14, in Abuja that payment of N30, 000 wage was impracticable.
Yari, however, said the proposed wage would be paid if labour would agree to downsizing of the workforce across the country “or federal government itself accedes to the review of the national revenue allocation formula.
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Minimum Wage: Is N30,000 Too Much for FG to Pay Workers? - Nigeria Street Gist | Legit TV
Source: Legit.ng
