Minimum Wage: NLC Insists Governors Should Dialogue With Workers

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, has insisted that the governors should dialogue with workers in their state over the N30,000 minimum wage as agreed by the Tripartite Committee.

He faulted the governors’ agreement to pay N22, 500, following an emergency meeting and briefing from the forum’s representatives at the Tripartite Committee.

He said, “Let every state governors go back to their states, gather their workers and tell them if they are willing to pay the N30,000 minimum wage or not”.

Mr Wabba who was a guest on Channels Television described the resolution of the governors as unknown to Labour laws and contrary to the overall decision of the Tripartite Committee.

But the NGF Chairman, Abdul’Aziz Yari, in a statement said the decision was reached because most of the governors do not have the capacity to pay the agreed amount (N30,000).

Before agreeing to a figure, he explained that the governors considered the stride of development in their states, particularly in health, education and infrastructure.

The organised labour had demanded N30,000 as new minimum wage but the NGF said most of its members do not have the capacity to pay the sum.

The Labour leader however insists that the Tripartite Committee which was inaugurated by President Muhammadu Buhari concluded its negotiations and arrived at the said amount of N30,000.

He urged the committee to submit its report to the President, who will, in turn, forward it to the National Assembly for a public hearing.