Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has issued a stern warning against an alleged plan by the National Assembly to move the minimum wage from the Exclusive legislative list to the Concurrent list.
This change would allow state governors to determine their own minimum wages.
Addressing participants at the 2024 NLC Rain School in Uyo, Akwa Ibom’s capital, Ajaero cautioned that should the National Assembly pass such a law, it would prompt a nationwide halt in labour movements for one month.
He stated that this shift could lead to the removal of the minimum wage entirely.
“As we are here, a Joint Committee of the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the Judiciary are meeting. They have decided to move section 34 from the Exclusive legislative list to the Concurrent list, enabling state governors to determine wages. If this happens, I assure you, the very moment the House of Representatives and the Senate enact such a law, Nigerian workers will become their drivers and gatemen. There will be no movement for one month,” Ajaero declared.
He urged NLC members to remain on standby, ready to respond if the committee approves the policy.
“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 about starving and punishing people. That’s not the democracy we fought for.”
Ajaero also criticised federal lawmakers and governors, insisting they should adhere to the minimum wage.
He questioned why leaders aim to exploit workers amid prevailing hardships and lamented the frequent disregard of agreements with the government, citing examples such as the CNG vehicles and the Port Harcourt refinery.
“Nigeria is a country where there are no provisions for the poor man. Comrades, I wanted to speak with you to make it clear that we are not troublemakers,” he added.
He stressed the importance of a national minimum wage that reflects the cost of living, arguing that the NLC’s demand for N250,000 is necessary to avoid the proposed “slave wage” by social partners.
“We cannot afford to continue working in greater poverty. Education remains one of the most potent tools for 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,” Ajaero concluded.
