NLC to govs: Workers not beggars, you can’t pay whatever you like as wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the recent statements by some state governors on the amount to pay workers as the minimum wage in their states.

Governors under the aegis of the Southern Governors’ Forum had, on Thursday, June 27, 2024, said each state should negotiate the new minimum wage with the labour unions based on their ability to pay.

The governors made this known via a communique issued at the end of their meeting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Monday, June 24.

Reacting, the NLC, in a statement issued by its spokesperson, Benson Upah, on Friday, June 28, said the move by many governors to pay workers whatever they like would increase poverty and insecurity in the country.

Upah noted that workers’ salaries were often seen as charity rather than the hard-earned income of “hardworking” Nigerians, saying workers are not “beggars”.

He added that the notion that governors could pay whatever they deem fit to workers is not only dictatorial but also undermines the essence of the model adopted for creating a national minimum wage in Nigeria.

He stated: “The concept of a national minimum wage is not arbitrary. It represents a national wage floor, a baseline below which no worker in the law should be paid.

“The pursuit by many governors to pay workers whatever they like deepens poverty and causes varying dimensions of insecurity. The governors are carried away by their present structure of security detail but the sword of Damocles awaits them on exit from office.

Minimum wage: We’ll pay according to our ability ― Southern governors

“It is unfortunate that workers’ salaries are often seen as charity rather than the hard-earned income of hardworking Nigerians. It is equally painful that some of these governors fail to realise that workers’ salaries substantially drive the economy. Not surprisingly, they prioritise their greed over the need of ordinary citizens.

“The fate of Nigerian workers cannot be left solely in the hands of employers, whether public or private. No sane society does that. What the governors are asking for is akin to allowing numerous companies and organizations in Nigeria to pay workers whatever they like. While these companies may not pay the same salaries, they must adhere to the national wage floor, and the same should apply to state governors.”

The NLC spokesperson, however, commended the “forward-looking and progressively-minded governors (not in name but indeed) who take seriously the welfare of workers in their thoughts and policies”, stressing that “we will continue to identify as well as work with them”.

Upah also urged President Bola Tinubu “who had promised a living wage (which is superior to a minimum wage) not to allow himself be blackmailed or boxed into a corner by unpatriotic governors.”

He added: “We urge the federal government to stop dithering on the issue of the national minimum wage because of the gang up by some selfish governors.

“The NLC urges the governors to abandon any inclination towards dictatorial practices as the process remains a tripartite one.

“Accordingly, we call for policies and actions driven by equity and fairness. Ensuring a fair minimum wage is not only a matter of economic justice but also a fundamental aspect of maintaining social stability and national cohesion. Nigerian workers should not be reduced to beggars! Enough is enough!”

The Star