NLC To Protest Senate Decision To Remove Minimum Wage From Exclusive List

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) is to mobilise its members
nationwide against the decision of the Senate to remove Labour and the
national minimum wage from the Exclusive List contrary to the practice
in most nations of the world.
In a communique issued at the end of an emergency meeting of the
National Executive Council (NEC) in Abuja yesterday, the NLC said the
decision has the potential to create a pool of the working poor;
judicial nightmare; slave labour; an environment for payment of
arbitrary wages; destruction of the economy; major industrial unrest;
and worsening national security situation.
The congress also blasted the poor conditions of service in Anambra
State, expressing dismay that a PermanentSecretary in the civil
service earns as low as N150,000 per month. It urged the Anambra
State Government to immediately work towards the improvement of the
conditions of service of its workers, stressing that in the event of
failure of the government to act speedily, the NLC would be compelled
to act in sympathy with the workers.
The NLC also strongly condemned the inability/refusal of the federal
government to reach an amicable resolution of its dispute with the
Academic Union of Universities, and called for resumption of
negotiations between both parties, saying it had elected to be
directly involved in those negotiations.
Full text of the communique:
COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF AN EMERGENCY MEETING OF THE NATIONAL
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC) OF THE NIGERIA LABOURCONGRESS (NLC) HELD ON
THURSDAY 29TH AUGUST, 2013
AT LABOUR HOUSE, ABUJA
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress
after an exhaustive deliberation at their meeting of Thursday, August
29, 2013 at its auditorium, Abuja, notes that:
In spite of the overwhelming support of the Nigerian people, workers
and constituents for the retention of Labour and the prescription of
a national minimum wageon the Exclusive List and extant ILO
Conventions in support of same, and the fact that national minimum
wage is prescribed and retained on the Exclusive List in over 90 per
cent of the nations of the world, the Nigerian Senate against every
grain of wisdom, removed Labour and the national minimum wage from the
Exclusive List;
Resolved to:
Mobilise its members across the country against the decision of the
Senate because of its potential to create:
• A pool of the working poor
• Judicial nightmare;
• Slave labour
• An environment for payment of arbitrary wages;
• Destruction of the economy;
• Major industrial unrest; and
• Worsening national security situation
Congress also notes with grave concern the poor conditions of service
in Anambra State.
Congress is particularly dismayed that a Permanent Secretary in the
state civil service earns as low as N150,000 per month.
Congress accordingly urges the Anambra State Government to immediately
work towards the improvement of the conditions of service of workers.
Congress warns that in the event of failure of the government to act
speedily act, it would be compelled to act in sympathy with the
workers in Anambra State.
Similarly, Congress condemns in strong terms the inability/refusal of
the government to reach an amicableresolution of its dispute with the
Academic Union of Universities (ASUU).
It nonetheless calls for resumption of negotiations between the
government and ASUU in the interest of students.
In furtherance of this, Congress elects to be directly involved in the
negotiations.
Abdulwahed Ibrahim Omar, President
Chris Uyot, Acting General Secretary