We’ll resist NASS plan to remove minimum wage from exclusive list – NLC
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has pledged to strongly resist any efforts by the National Assembly to transfer labour issues, including minimum wage determination, from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list, which would allow individual states to set their own workers’ wages.
NLC President, Joe Ajaero, made the vow on Friday during the National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting of the Central Working Committee in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
He described the National Assembly’s plan as an “exercise in futility,” arguing that minimum wage is a national matter globally recognized by International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.
According to him, the proposal would undermine the national minimum wage structure and shift labour-related responsibilities to states, including establishing state industrial courts to handle wage disputes, which he believes contravenes ILO principles.
The labour leader emphasized, “The National Assembly should not embark on this exercise in futility unless members are willing to allow their respective states to determine their wages.”
