Labour Threatens 30-day Strike Over Plans to Deregulate Minimum Wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress, on Tuesday, threatened to shut down the country for a month in protest against plans by the National Assembly to deregulate the national minimum wage.

NLC’s threat came as the nation awaits a new national minimum wage following months of negotiations between Organised Labour, the Federal Government, and the Organised Private Sector.

NLC President, Joe Ajaero, declared the union’s position while speaking on the sidelines of the 67th Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association Annual General Meeting in Lagos.

According to the NLC president, the International Labour Organisation recognises wage as a national law, saying it is not for the sub-nationals.

However,  he said,  some people instigated by the governors were saying they would not be able to pay N60,000 even when their members were in the meeting with labour, saying this was being done in bad fate.

He further added that the labour movement will not accept what he called “slave wages”.

“There is no governor that is not receiving the same thing nationwide, they are not receiving according to their revenue in their states, but they want that of the workers to be so. So, the issue of using revenue as a basis for the payment of minimum wage is a lame one. If any governor is making that argument, then he doesn’t know what governance is all about,” he stated