The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has demanded for “full and strict compliance” to the provisions of the National Minimum Wage 2024 when enacted into enabling Act.
The Organised Labour’s demand, coming a day after the labour unions reached an agreement with the federal government for a monthly national minimum wage of N70, 000, is not unconnected with the argument by some governors and Organized Private Sector (OPS) of their inability to pay the minimum wage.
But NLC insisted on its demand for full compliance during its National Executive Council (NEC) held on Friday to review its meeting with the Federal government on July 18, 2024.
The NLC in its communique signed by the President, Joe Ajaero, and released after the NEC meeting, further resolved “to continue to stand resolutely in its mission to defend and advance the rights of Nigerian workers and Nigerian people at all times.
It urged all Nigerians to unite in this cause and to hold leaders accountable to the same standards of sacrifice and service.
It gave insight into the reason why it accepted a far below its earlier demand of N250, 000, saying the decisions “though challenging and far from our initial demand, was made in the spirit of solidarity and sacrifice for Nigerian masses to avert a threatened further hike in the price of Petrol which would inflict more hardship on the already suffering masses.”
The full text of the communique reads:
COMMUNIQUE OF AN EMERGENCY NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL (NEC) MEETING OF THE NIGERIA LABOUR CONGRESS (NLC) HELD ON FRIDAY THE 19TH DAY OF JULY 2024.
The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) convened today in an emergency meeting in response to the outcomes of the Meeting with the federal government which held yesterday, the 18th of July, 2024 at the Presidential Villa with the new National Minimum Wage in focus. The President of the Federation, His Excellency Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, presided over the meeting.
The NEC-in-session after extensive deliberations, unanimously:
Commended and applauded the doggedness of the leadership of the Congress on the courage and forthrightness with which they handled the National Minimum Wage fixing exercise
Accepted the President’s offer of N70,000 (Seventy thousand Naira) as the new National Minimum Wage and the 3-yearly tenure for its review.
Demanded full and strict compliance by all to the dictates of the National Minimum Wage 2024 when it becomes an Act.
NEC-in-session concluded that this decision, though challenging and far from our initial demand, was made in the spirit of solidarity and sacrifice for Nigerian masses to avert a threatened further hike in the price of Petrol which would inflict more hardship on the already suffering masses.
Once again, NEC-in-session restates the commitment of the NLC to continue to stand resolutely in its mission to defend and advance the rights of Nigerian workers and Nigerian people at all times. It therefore calls on all Nigerians to unite in this cause and to hold our leaders accountable to the same standards of sacrifice and service.
Comrade Joe Ajaero
President
