The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC). on Wednesday, staged a protest at the National Assembly Complex, rejecting a bill seeking to move the national minimum wage from the exclusive list to the concurrent list.
The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, in company of leaders of other affiliate unions, while presenting a petition on the bill, said the bill was anti labour laws and against the interest of Nigeria workers.
The bill in contention had passed first reading in the House of Representatives.
Wabba said the national minimum wage was not a Nigerian standard but an international standard, noting that 26 countries of the world have minimum wage as part of their exclusive list, including the U.S.
He said the current national minimum wage was negotiated with all stakeholders including state governments before it became Law .
He said the NLC would resist any move to deny Nigerians in the state and local governments payment of minimum wage.
Responding, Deputy Chief Whip of Senate, Senator Sabi Abdulahi (APC-Niger), said the Senate would stand with Nigerian workers as it had always done.
He said it was not possible for any one to pass a bill that would affect the interest of Nigerian workers, given the practice of democracy in Nigeria.
Abdulahi said the senate was representing the interest of Nigerian workers and hence takes the payment of salaries of workers seriously.
He said the NLC had made their point by staging the protest, noting that the senate would stand by the workers to protect their rights and Privileges.
He said the senate would ensure that justice was done to the petition presented by NLC on the issue.
NLC members, who besieged the National Assembly complex had some inscription like “Pay us our minimum wage, autonomy to local government, minimum wage payment would boost the economy” among other inscriptions.
