Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Ayuba Wabba has restated Labour’s resolve to defend their position on the national minimum wage for Nigerian workers with whatever it takes.
Wabba reiterated Labour’s demand for the removal of the minimum wage from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list.
Wabba spoke at a meeting yesterday in Abuja with the House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and the leadership of the House when he led some members of the organised labour, including the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), to the meeting.
His words: “The fact is that the minimum wage has never been given to workers on a platter of gold. Jigawa, Yobe, Borno started implementing the minimum wage first before others. Rivers State did not until we went there to protest. So, it is not about resources but priority.
“Some of the governors gave us information that they were contacted on this issue and how it was being driven. So, we are working on the basis of information. We are ready to defend our position.
“If we are to start the restructuring of wages, I think it should start from the political class. When salaries were reviewed by 50 per cent in 2011, those of political office holders were reviewed by 800 per cent. So, if it is about ability to pay, it should start from that stage. Our own is only minimum wage while some are collecting maximum wage.”
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