The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday staged a protest at the National Assembly complex to reject a bill seeking to move the national minimum wage from the exclusive list to the concurrent list.
The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba who was in the company of leaders of other affiliate unions, while presenting a petition against the bill said the bill is anti-labour laws and against the interest of Nigeria workers.
The bill in contention passed its first and second reading on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Wabba said the national minimum wage is an international standard, noting that 26 countries of the world have minimum wage as part of their exclusive list including the United States of America.
He said the current national minimum wage was negotiated with all stakeholders including State Government before it became Law.
He stressed that NLC would resist any move to deny Nigerians workers in the State and Local Governments the payment of minimum wage.
Giving his response, the Deputy Chief Whip of Senate, Senator Sabi Abdullahi (APC-Niger) said the Senate would stand with Nigerian workers as it had always done.
He said it is not possible for anyone to pass a bill that would affect the interest of Nigerian workers, given the practice of democracy in Nigeria.
The Senator said the Senate is representing the interest of Nigerian workers and hence takes the payment of salaries of workers seriously.
He said the NLC have made their point by staging the protest, noting that the senate would stand by the workers to protect their rights and privileges.
He assured the Labour Unions that the Senate will ensure that justice will be done to the petition presented on the issue.
Inscriptions like, “Pay us our minimum wage”, “autonomy to local government”, “minimum wage payment would boost the economy” were carried by members of the Nigeria Labour Congress during the protest.
