Labour will enforce implementation of new minimum wage — Wabba

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said that it will enforce full implementation of the national minimum wage as soon as the consequential adjustment issue is resolved with the states.

Labour said any state that breaches provisions of the minimum wage after an  agreement is reached on the consequential adjustments would be taken to court.

The National President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said this yesterday while briefing newsmen after the opening ceremony of the 2019 NLC National Leadership Retreat holding at Nike Lake Resort, Enugu.

The NLC boss lamented the fact that ‘‘Nigerian workers are forced to beg for their salaries which are being owed’’.

He said: “While other countries have fully accommodated and automated the process of minimum wage adjustments and are now focused on living wages, we are faced with a situation where we are forced to bargain too hard and wait for too long for meagre increases in minimum wage and adjustments in salary.”

Wabba said the new minimum wage is now a law that can be enforced in the court of competent jurisdiction if it is breached or violated by government or private person.

“Let me also inform you that there is a difference between the law we have and the law that has existed from 1981 till date. In 1981 when the first minimum wage was enacted, there was no provision for sanctions. In this one we negotiated, there is a provision for sanctions because it is already a law. Any state or person that violates the provision of law; there are three ways to address it: one is that the worker can report to his union.

“Once you report we can look at the means and avenues including court to enforce the provision of the law. So now there is a clout to enforce the provisions of the law. So clearly speaking once there’s understanding or agreement about the issue of consequential adjustment the issue is settled.”

Declaring the retreat open, Enugu State Governor, Chief  Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi,  reassured workers in the state of his administration’s commitment to an enhanced welfare.