PLAN TO REMOVE MINIMUM WAGE FROM EXCLUSIVE TO CONCURRENT LIST IS OBNOXIOUS— ANAMBRA NLC CHAIRMAN
Reporter : UCHE NDEKE
The Organized Labour in Anambra State says it is still negotiating with the state government over the total implementation of the approved thirty thousand naira National Minimum Wage.
The Chairman, Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) in the state, Comrade Jerry Nnubia, made this known in Awka while addressing members who trooped out to protest the proposed plan to remove the National Minimum Wage from the Exclusive list to the Concurrent list of the Nigerian constitution.
The protesters carried placards with inscriptions: “National Assembly members, Deregulate your pockets not Minimum wage,” “On National minimum Wage we stand,” “Deregulation is a weapon of Mass Poverty,” and “Enough is Enough for our Law Makers.”
The union members chanted solidarity songs as they matched from Arroma Junction through Ekwueme square to the state House of Assembly complex, where they presented a position letter to the speaker.
Addressing journalists, the NLC Chairman, Comrade Nnubia, described the bill as obnoxious, which would drag the country back to the era of ridiculous slave wages, which amounted to multifarious industrial crises in different parts of the country.
Comrade Nnubia therefore called on the Anambra State House of Assembly, not to pass such anti- labour bill whenever it would be sent down for legislative approval.
His Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Comrade Ifeanyi Okechukwu, and the Chairman, Joint Negotiations Council, Comrade Benson Jibike, expressed regret that the monthly take home of each national assembly member was more than the annual salary of three hundred state workers and described the bill as an attempt to dehumanize the workforce.
In his response, the Speaker of the Anambra state House of Assembly, Mr. Uche Okafor, commended the organised labour in the state for their peaceful conduct and assured that the lawmakers would not allow their constituents who are the workers to be marginalised.