SOCIAL activities may be disrupted Tuesday as Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) begin a two-day protest against transfer of minimum wage from the exclusive to concurrent legislative list.
A statement signed by the President of TUC, Bobboi Kaigama, and General Secretary, Musa Lawal, Sunday said arrangements for the protest are in top gear.
The statement reads in part: “Mobilisation to protest the decentralization of National Minimum Wage slated for September, 17 and 18, 2013 by the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria and its sister body, Nigeria Labour Congress is in top gear. The labour centres have given directive to their over 60 affiliates throughout the country to be battle-ready against the obnoxious move. We are surprised that in one breathe; the Senate proposed decentralization of minimum wage against the wish of the people of Nigeria, eroding the earning power of vulnerable workers while they legislated life pension for the leadership of the Senate.”
The protest is scheduled for Abuja tomorrow and Wednesday. However, there was no indication on the movement of the protesters within the seat of government.
The TUC declared that the very essence of the minimum wage is to ensure that employees, particularly the unorganized and unskilled are not exploited by their employers to the extent that their pay become so low that it creates a poor working masses.
It added that minimum wage should not be erroneously mistaken for a living wage; as such it guarantees mere bare existence for workers in the formal sector – public and private. It also influences wages in the informal sector, thus minimum wage, as approved to salary increase, affects all.
It explained: “To underscore its importance, the National Assembly has legislated on the minimum wage from N125 in 1981 to N5,500 in 2001. And in 2011, the current minimum wage of N18,000 was signed. Alas, the governors suddenly realized the minimum wage matter should be concurrent rather than exclusive. Who are they serving? The motive however, is not far-fetched: decentralize labour and turn the workers into political thugs for the purpose of self-serving politicians. We will never allow this because even if the states legislate for state workers (concurrent) who legislates for the private sector? This is why we must mobilize to kick against the Senate’s uninformed position.
“We are of the opinion that states’ determination of minimum wage and other established emoluments for staff of civil service of the states, institutions, bodies and agencies established and managed by the government councils and Local Government Services Commissions will introduce politics into wage determination, in particular during elections, as was the case in the First Republic. We insist that the Senate should leave item 34 of the 1999 Constitution and allow minimum wage determination to remain in the exclusive list. We need to stay with the tradition; we need to strengthen, not weaken the protection of the most vulnerable segment of our nation; we also need to avoid the development of a segmented labour market.”
It added: Nigerians must wake and join hands with labour to ensure the minimum wage remains in the exclusive list, saying: “this is why this collaboration between the Nigeria Labour Congress and the TUC must be hailed once again.”