Organized Labour in Nigeria has threatened to shut down any state government that fails to implement and pay the new national minimum wage agreed upon recently between the labour and the federal government.
Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Osun State Chapter, Christopher Arapasopo, dropped this hint in Osogbo, capital of Osun State today, July 20.
According to him, the joint labour unions will enforce the new N70,000 minimum wage in all the states.
He said that the unions agreed on the new minimum wage as a sacrifice to prevent a hike in fuel pump prices.
“The governors would never say they were not there when it was agreed. They were the ones agitating for N70,000 as the minimum wage.
“We, as labour, suggested N250,000 and they brought it down to N62,000 before shifting ground to N70,000, and we accepted it. We have sacrificed a lot of things.
“So, for any government or governor that fails to pay, we will shut that state down. It is a must for them to pay. It is a no-go area. We are not negotiating that.”
He said that the NLC had just concluded its NEC meeting, with all the states being represented.
“The President said if we insisted on our demand of N250, 000, he would have to increase the fuel price.
”But as good citizens of Nigeria, we believe the demand should not be only to the benefit of a particular sector alone.
“As workers, we should be able to think about other Nigerians and not ourselves alone.
“So, we made the sacrifice to accept the N70,000 to avoid the price of fuel going up.” he said
Arapasopo said that If the union had insisted on the N250,000 minimum wage, Nigerians and workers would suffer the increment in fuel pump price and inflation would increase.
He said that the N70,000 accepted by labour was still fair as it would be the least salary paid to workers in the lowest cadre.
Arapasopo added that consequential adjustments and benefits attached to the levels would even jack up the wage when it is implemented.
He said that the Osun chapter of the union would meet with the state government to discuss some allowances for workers, “but the minimum wage stands non-negotiable.”
