"The Law is Clear": NLC Insists on National Minimum Wage, Gives Reason Govs' Proposal Won't Work
- Amid the stalemate in negotiation concerning the new national minimum wage, a labour leader, Akeem Ambali, has criticised Nigerian governors
- Over the past few months, the federal and state governments, organised labour, and the private sector have been negotiating a new minimum wage
- Recently, governors met to deliberate on the minimum wage for workers and called on labour and other stakeholders to allow each state to negotiate what it can pay
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering governance and public journalism.
FCT, Abuja - Akeem Ambali, the national treasurer of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has insisted that state governors have no power to negotiate the new minimum wage.
Ambali was reacting to the governors’ proposal, where they suggested that they should be allowed to determine the wages of their workers.
Source: Twitter
In an interview with The Punch published on Saturday, June 29, the NLC official stated that the governors were compelled by law to implement the new national minimum wage.
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He advised them to focus on how they would implement the national minimum wage when it is approved by President Bola Tinubu.
He said:
“Traditionally, the minimum wage is a national issue; it is not a sub-national negotiation. That is the essence of the minimum wage act, and the law is clear.
“Governors don’t have the power to negotiate the minimum wage. What they can only negotiate are other allowances, but the minimum wage is a social protection content, and it is not only applicable to Nigeria.”
Legit.ng reports that in the past few months, Nigerian workers under the auspices of the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have been agitating for a considerable salary increase, but the government appears reluctant to yield to their demand.
More to read on minimum wage
- Labour speaks on time new minimum wage act would be passed
- NLC, TUC hold emergency meeting after Tinubu's move on minimum wage memo
- Minimum wage: Presidency gives fresh update on transmission of proposed bill to national assembly
New minimum wage: NLC speaks on expectations
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the organised labour said it expects President Tinubu to reach out to members of the tripartite committee on the new national minimum wage to reconcile the figures.
Labour said this is important considering the current stalemate. It also said it was expecting to see a copy of the draft bill that would be sent to the national assembly.
Proofreading by James Ojo Adakole, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.
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Source: Legit.ng
