The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to shut down the country for a month in protest against the National Assembly’s plans to deregulate the national minimum wage.
NLC President Joe Ajaero made this announcement on Tuesday during the 67th Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association Annual General Meeting in Lagos.
Ajaero warned that the Joint Committee of the Senate, House of Representatives, and the Judiciary is considering moving Section 34 from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent List, allowing state governors to determine minimum wages independently. This change would eliminate the national minimum wage standard.
“If the House of Representatives and the Senate pass such a law, we will shut down the country for a month. We cannot accept a situation where governors and lawmakers impose slave wages on workers and force poverty on citizens. Organised Labour will not stand for this,” Ajaero declared.
He emphasized that the constitution provides for equal pay for equal work, and decentralizing wages would undermine this principle. He argued that paying workers different wages for the same job in different states violates equity and equality before the law.
Ajaero also pointed out that the International Labour Organization recognizes wage laws at the national level, not sub-national levels. He noted that while some states might pay higher than the national minimum wage, the basic minimum must be standardized.
He accused some governors of resisting the proposed N60,000 minimum wage, even though their representatives participated in discussions with labor. He warned that if the National Assembly succeeds in passing the proposed law, the labor movement will resist.
“The NLC will not accept slave wages. All workers across Nigeria are seen as Nigerian workers, and any attempt to undermine them will be resisted. Governors are receiving the same salary nationwide, and the argument of paying workers based on state revenue is flawed,” Ajaero stated.
He urged governors to leverage their capacity and acumen for the prosperity of their states, rather than lamenting their inability to pay decent wages. He highlighted the challenges faced by families surviving on meager incomes and criticized the government’s inaction on proposed alternatives to cushion the impact of subsidy removal.
Meanwhile, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Kingsley Chinda, confirmed that there is a proposal before the National Assembly Committees on Constitutional Review to move the minimum wage from the exclusive list to the concurrent list. This would allow states to legislate on labor matters independently.
Chinda acknowledged the differing opinions on the issue and suggested that while states can set higher wages, the federal government should ensure a minimum living wage for all workers. He warned that decentralizing the system could weaken the labor movement and complicate international labor relations.
“The Federal Government should set a minimum living wage, with states or firms free to pay above this threshold but not below. Labour disputes should be standardized, and industrial courts should maintain precedents. Decentralizing labor matters could weaken labor unions and increase the likelihood of governors manipulating state unions,” Chinda advised.
He stressed the importance of maintaining national standards for labor issues to avoid complexity and ensure effective checks on the government.
