A’Ibom NLC protest removal of minimum wage from exclusive list

Akpan Umoh

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Akwa Ibom State Chapter on Wednesday, protested at the State House of Assembly complex, rejecting a bill seeking to move the national minimum wage from the exclusive list to the concurrent list.

The Akwa Ibom NLC State Chairman, Comrade Sunny James in company of leaders of Trade Union Congress (TUC) and other affiliate union, staged a road walk from Idongesit Nkanga Secretariat to the House of Assembly complex to present a petition to the Speaker, Mr Aniekan Bassey.

The labour in their petition on the bill, said the bill was anti-labour laws and against the interest of Nigerian workers and described it as unacceptable by the Nigerian labour in the state and country.

According to James, the national minimum wage was not a Nigerian standard but an international standard, stressing that over 20 countries across the world have minimum wage in their exclusive list.

The NLC state chairman stated that the current national minimum wage was negotiated with all stakeholders, including all the state governments before it became Law, which has not been implemented by all state governments as at date.

James warned that labour and all its affiliates would resist any attempt to deny Nigerians workers payment of minimum wage.

The labour leader urged members of the national assembly to focus their energy in making laws that would uplift the welfare of Nigerians, instead of making laws to increase the people suffering.

“The labour is saying, build new refineries everywhere in this country, and let us refine our petroleum products and sell it within ourselves.

“Instead of making a law to say we (NLC) won’t have food to eat, National Assembly should make law against insecurity, that anybody caught with AK-47 should go to life imprisonment,” James said.

Responding, on behalf of the Speaker, the Clerk of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, Mrs Mandu Umoren, said the State House of Assembly would support the struggle of Nigerian workers.

She added that the speaker, Mr Aniekan Bassey, is a worker’s friendly speaker that would not do anything against the interest of the Nigerian workers.

She noted that the petition would be transmitted to the speaker, with assurance that the state government would be in support of the labour minimum wage struggle.

“Akwa Ibom State was one of  the very first states to implement the minimum wage, and I want to believe that the state government would not go back as pressurised by the National Assembly.

“The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly and other Houses of Assembly are in Abuja to protest the non-implementation of Financial Autonomy.

“This present 7th Assembly is workers friendly, I know they would not do anything to harm the NLC.

“In that case, I want to assure NLC and TUC in Akwa Ibom State that I have received your letter and I will advise him on what to do.

“And at the end, the speaker will take it to the governor because he has the ears and they will resolve it amicably, for the interest of the workers in the state.

“On behalf of the speaker, I want to thank the NLC and TUC, and I want to believe that before resorting to strike all peaceful negotiation will be handled.

“And I believe before resorting to strike this matter would be resolved amicably,” she said.

The labour members, who besieged the assembly complex had some inscriptions like: “Leave National Minimum wage on exclusive list; remove corruption and inefficiency in refineries; fuel scarcity, and fix our refineries now, among others.