NLC reveals 30 states agreed to pay N30,000 minimum wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has revealed that 30 state governors have agreed to pay N30,000 as the new national minimum wage.

The union stated this on Monday in Abuja at a National Assembly public hearing on the bill, while pleading with the lawmakers to ignore the recommendation of N27,00 by the Federal Government.

The union rejected the N27, 000 proposed by the government, insisting on the N30,000 recommended by the tripartite committee.

NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, stated at the hearing that N30,000 was a compromised figure and that NLC had discussed with 30 state governors who agreed to pay the N30,000.

“We have considered all factors and we are pleading with the House, governors and our leaders that N30,000 is a compromised position, that all of us will work together to build our country,’’ Wabba said.

Meanwhile, NLC also proposed four amendments to the current minimum wage bill.

The first amendment, according to NLC president, was about the figure, which he observed should be changed from N27,000 to N30,000.

The second amendment pertained to section 2(b) which talked about duration of four years as contained in the draft bill.

The NLC proposed that it should be a four-year cycle, bearing in mind that major economic upheaval will adversely affect the value of the new minimum wage, saying this was in tandem with global best practice.

Labour also sought for removal of threshold, “because we say every worker should be able to earn at least the minimum wage’’.

The NLC president also argued against allowing those employing from 25 and below to be exempted from paying the minimum wage.

He added that body charged with the responsibility of making the next review should be institutionalised.

Wabba said , “what is being proposed here is different from what is recommended in tripartite where we say that any future review will be done by a tripartite committee as done before.’’

Labour equally sought amendment to section 5 (a) which had to do with penalty.

Wabba said that the recommended penalty of N5,000 was too minimal and asked that it should be increased to a fine not exceeding N75,000.