NLC Rejects Governors' Proposal on Minimum Wage, Warns Against Dictatorial Practices
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly opposed the suggestion by the Southern Governors Forum that each state should be allowed to determine the wages of their workers, calling it a dictatorial and anti-minimum wage stance.
In a communique issued on Thursday, the Southern Governors Forum advocated that each state should negotiate what it could pay with labour, arguing that the minimum wage should be reflective of living expenses and the idea that each state ought to be free to bargain over its minimum wage.
In response to this stance, the NLC cautioned the state governors in a statement released yesterday not to make any more provocative remarks regarding the minimum wage in order to prevent igniting labour unrest.
If the minimum wage dispute drags on, the NLC argued, it might not be able to handle the pressure for industrial action any longer.
The NLC urged President Bola Tinubu, who had promised a living wage (which is superior to a minimum wage), not to allow himself to be blackmailed or boxed into a corner by unpatriotic governors.
According to the NLC, the concept of a national minimum wage is not arbitrary but represents a national wage floor, a baseline below which no worker in the law should be paid.
The Governors' demand to unilaterally determine the minimum wage undermines this principle and threatens the welfare of Nigerian workers and the national economy.
The NLC also pointed out the inconsistency in the Governors' argument when juxtaposed with the remuneration of political officeholders, who receive uniform salaries across the nation.
It called for policies and actions driven by equity and fairness, urging the Governors to abandon any inclination towards dictatorial practices.
The NLC stands firm in its commitment to protecting the rights and welfare of Nigerian workers and will continue to advocate for a fair and equitable wage system that reflects the true spirit of the nation's values.
It called on the Governors to join them in this commitment for the benefit of all Nigerians.
