NLC, TUC Stages Peaceful Protest, Says No to removing Minimum wage from exclusive list
Akinlabi Afolabi, Ibadan
Reacting to the attempt to remove minimum wage from exclusive list, workers on the platform of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), have declared that any attempt to do so will enslave Nigerian workers.
The groups made this disclosure when they staged a peaceful protest against the removal of minimum wage from the exclusive list at Oyo State House of Assembly on Wednesday, said the Bill would return Nigerians workers into slavery.
The unionists noted that the protest was organized to kick against the planned removal of the minimum wage from the exclusive list to the concurrent list.
The protesting workers who began the protest at the NLC Secretariat took their protest to Agodi and ended at the State House of Assembly.
TUC chairman, Mr Emmanuel Ogundiran, warned the Oyo State Assembly not to be part of what would destroy the Nigerian economy and further throw Nigerians into the unemployment market.
Ogundiran said that some individuals were toying with the welfare of the average Nigerian worker.
He said, “Removing the minimum wage from the exclusive list to concurrent list means it is no more the Federal Government that have the final say on the issue but both the state and the FG can adjudicate on it.
“It means the governors can decide on the amount to be paid as minimum wage and this will further enslave the workers,” Ogundiran said.
He called on the Oyo State House of Assembly not to be part of the bill and not to consider the passage of the bill, describing it as anti-workers bill.
NLC Chairman, Mr Kayode Martins, said that the union would do what is necessary to ensure that the bill does not see the light of the day.
He added that the governors earn nothing less than N500 million as security vote and are telling Nigerian workers that N30,000 minimum wage was too much.
Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hon. Muhammed Fadeyi while receiving the groups, commended the union for the peaceful protest.
Fadeyi said the bill before its passage, the bill must go through the 36 States Houses of Assembly and assured the unions that the State Asssembly would take the views of the people before taking decision on the bill.
He added that the bill would not see the light of the day irrespective of pressures from many quarters.
