The President of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has warned against the National Assembly members’ recent decision to remove wage from the Exclusive to Concurrent list in the constitution.
Ajaero gave the warning on Monday while addressing participants at the opening ceremony of the 2024 annual Rain School of the NLC, held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state capital.
He also warned that if National Assembly members that came up with such a law to allow each state governor to determine the minimum wage, he would mobilize labour stop movements for one month in the country.
“As we are here a Joint Committee of the Senate, the House of Representatives and the Judiciary are meeting. They have decided to remove section 34 from the Exclusive legislative list to the Concurrent list so that the state Governors can determine what to pay to you and so that there will be no minimum wage again.
“When they finish that meeting, they will collect minimum wage, I promise all of you that. The very moment the House of Representatives and the Senate come up with such a Law that will not benefit Nigerian workers they will be their own drivers and gatemen, there will be no movement for one month.
“Comrades I am putting you on standby. If that committee comes up with such a policy, for one month nobody should come out. They are the major threat to democracy in this country. Democracy is not all about starving and punishing people. That’s not the democracy we fought for.
“They were not there when we fought for this democracy, and now they are trying to make Laws to remove wage from the Exclusive list. So, comrades as I have talked to you here, I have talked to everybody. We are waiting for them to come up with such hypocritical laws. And from today let them abolish security vote,” he said.
The NLC President explained that the time has come when the Federal Lawmakers and governors should be subjected to collecting minimum wage and wondered why Nigerian leaders were bent on cheating workers, even amid the current hardship they are facing due to the removal of fuel subsidy.
He regretted that in Nigeria the government does not respect agreements.
“The CNG Vehicles and the Port Harcourt refinery we agreed with them, nothing has happened. There’s no plan for the Nigerian workers.
“If you don’t pay workers real wages you cannot have a productive economy. It is not over until it is over.
“Nigeria is a country where there are no provisions for the poor man. So, comrades I was looking for this opportunity to talk with you, to know that we are not troublemakers,” he said.
Ajaero who described the theme of the Rain School, “Education and Future of Work” as timely and critical, said, “Education is important. Congress has always placed a premium on building the capacities of our cadre and leaders on the various issues and challenges that confront us as workers and as a people.
“All over the world, work can only be fair when it is able to deliver on the four pillars of decent work. This includes a national minimum wage that speaks to the cost of living because that is what our wages are supposed to take care of.
“Our demand for N250,000 is predicated on this to avoid the proposed slave wage by our social partners. We cannot afford to continue working in greater poverty. We must remember that Education remains one of the most potent tools to cause critical change in our society.
“Let us harness the power of education to shape a future of work that upholds the values we stand for and ensure a just and prosperous society for all,” he added.
Declaring the five-day events open, Akwa Ibom state Governor, Pastor Umo Eno noted that the importance of capacity building for workers in the country cannot be over-emphasized as it would help them face the future in whatever form it presents itself.
Eno who was represented by the Head of Civil Service, Elder Effiong Essien said, “When we are developed in terms of capacity, we will not be afraid to face the future. We identify with this NLC Rain School training which has been sustained here in Akwa Ibom state for the past 15 years.”
The governor expressed his administration’s commitment to maintaining the cordial relationship existing between it and the organized labour adding that Akwa Ibom would not fail to pay the new minimum wage once the negotiations were concluded.
“Even as we are anxiously waiting for the National Labour movement and the Federal government to come up with the new minimum wage, I urge the NLC President, not to be worried, not to be distracted by things that are happening, but let us pray for an understanding of the situation and come up with a minimum wage, that every state can afford to pay.
“By so doing we will not have our economy burnt, rather we will help to build our economy. I want to believe that the Rain School would offer training that would help us to manage the situation. Even as gloomy as it looks, I want to believe that our leaders at the National Assembly would listen to the voice of reasoning and would not set fire in this our dear native land,” Governor Eno appealed.
