NLC storms National Assembly over minimum wage

Hundreds of workers under the aegis of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), on Wednesday, stormed the National Assembly to protest the proposed transfer of the minimum wage from the Exclusive Legislative List to Concurrent List.

The protesters marched from the Federal Secretariat to the National Assembly, chanting solidarity songs against a bill, sponsored by House member, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen El-Rufai (APC, Kaduna).

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The piece of legislation seeks to transfer the minimum wage from the Exclusive Legislative List to Concurrent List.

While addressing hundreds of demonstrators at the National Assembly, NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, said the bill is not accepted by the Nigerian workers and demanded its immediate withdrawal.

He said the failure of the National Assembly leadership to withdraw the bill would attract the anger of Nigerian workers and the organised labour will declare a national strike.

House Leader, Hon. Ado Doguwa and Deputy Senate Whip, Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi addressed the protesters and assured them that the legislature would not enact any legislation against Nigerian workers.

The House of Representatives had, two weeks ago, debated a bill to remove the powers to negotiate wage matters from the exclusive to the concurrent list, citing the inability of state governors to pay the N30,000 minimum wage for the move.

But the NLC boss said: “The NEC decided that there will be a national protest action commencing from March 10, 2021, in the Federal Capital Territory and especially to the National Assembly.

“The NEC decided that should the need arise, it has empowered the National Administrative Council of the NLC to declare and enforce a national strike action, especially if the legislators continue on the ruinous path of moving the national minimum wage from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list.”