NLC: Why governors are unwilling to pay workers new minimum wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has again spoken about the unwillingness of the state governors to pay workers the new minimum wage.

While workers are anxiously awaiting a new minimum wage to be passed into law, no fewer than 15 states are yet to implement the N30,000 wage enacted in 2019.

The states yet to implement the minimum wage, in defiant of the 2019 Act, include Abia, Bayelsa, Delta, Enugu, Nasarawa, Adamawa, Gombe, Niger, Borno, Sokoto, Anambra, Imo, Benue, Taraba, and Zamfara.

The 36 state governors recently rejected the N60,000 minimum wage earlier proposed by the federal government.

The governors said the N60,000 minimum wage is not sustainable, noting that it would force some states in the country to borrow to pay workers’ salaries if the new take-home pay is implemented.

Speaking in Abuja on Monday, June 24, 2024, the NLC Assistant General Secretary, Chris Onyeka, said many governors were unwilling to pay civil servants their salaries because they see the state resources as theirs and are, therefore, not willing to share with the workers, who create the wealth.

Onyeka said: “Some governors believe, erroneously, that workers’ salaries can wait or be toyed with without consequences, so, they do not place priority on it.

“However, they forget that workers are human beings who need their salaries to meet their basic needs of life.”

Labour insists on N250,000 minimum wage

He stated that many state governors flouted the Minimum Wage Act because they did not believe in the sanctity of the law.

The NLC official added: “A state governor who does not believe in the sanctity of the laws will have a high proclivity to disobeying them.

“If you examine the history of some of these governors and their handlers, you will find a preponderance of those who came to power by breaking the laws.

“Is it now that they will obey the National Minimum Wage Act?”

Onyeka noted that fiscal indiscipline in many states is legendary, adding that the personal greed of some governors resulted in their appropriating state resources into their private pockets.

The labour leader reiterated the need to cut the cost of governance at all levels and end wastage.

Speaking on what could be done to compel the governors to obey the minimum wage law, Onyeka said the principles of law enforcement should be deployed.

According to him, the National Minimum Wage Act has clauses that take care of monitoring and compliance, noting that, the challenge is at the level of enforcement.

He noted: “The federal allocation to such states, once it is established that they are habitual breakers of the law, should be sequestered until they are compelled to pay.

‘The labour unions should also be empowered and supported in their actions against such states to pay.

“The judiciary should be strengthened, especially the National Industrial Court, to carry out its responsibilities effectively,

“The court should not only give rulings but also issue enforceable garnishee orders against such state governments.”

The Star