JUST IN: Nigerian Labour March To NASS Over Minimum Wage

Hundreds of members of the Nigeria Labour Congress have commenced a protest march to the National Assembly complex in Abuja over a minimum wage bill in the National Assembly.

The union and its affiliates are demanding the withdrawal of a bill that would remove the National Minimum Wage from the exclusive to the concurrent legislative list.

The House of Representatives had about two weeks ago introduced the bill which according to the sponsor, Garba Mohammed (APC Kano), would allow both the federal and state governments to freely negotiate minimum wage with their workers ” in line with our federalism.”

Imo Govt Commence Payment Of New Minimum Wage

But the organised labour opposed the bill, saying it would undermine the working class in the country.

The protesting workers are presently marching on the Shehu Shagari Way towards the NASS complex.

The procession is causing serious traffic gridlock forcing motorists to seek alternative routes to avoid being caught in the traffic logjam.

However, the Uzodinma led Imo State government yesterday announced that it had commenced the payment of the new national minimum wage to workers.

The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Chief Declan Emelumba, who disclosed this in Owerri, said Governor Hope Uzodimma has approved the payment with effect from January this year.

NLC Declares Strike In Imo, Rivers, Osun, 15 Others Over Minimum Wage

He said with the development, the least paid worker in the employ of the government will be going home with N32,000 monthly.

Emelumba said that state government was keeping its own side of the bargain with the organised labour through the payment of the new wage.

He said any worker who has not received his or her January salary must have missed returning the personal identification form as earlier requested by the government.