The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has taken a swipe on the governors opposed to an increase in the minimum wage of workers in the country. The governors in a statement issued on Friday, rejected an upward review of the minimum wage from N30,000 to the N60,000 proposed by the federal government during the last meeting, saying that the amount is unsustainable and unrealistic.
Speaking afterwards, NLC spokesperson, Comrade Benson Upah accused governors opposed to the new minimum wage of selfishness. When asked if state governments could afford to pay N494,000 as the new minimum wage, he said most of the state governors were selfish. He noted that even the current N30,000 minimum wage was not being paid by some states, except for Lagos and Edo, which recently started paying N70,000.
“More governors are willing to pay a reasonable rate, but those who are lawbreakers should be recognised as lawbreakers. It will not make their treasury richer or bigger; it will only end up impoverishing the state because workers’ wages drive the economy of most states.”
Reacting to the statement made by George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, who said he couldn’t pay each of his four drivers N100,000 monthly in light of the new minimum wage.
“It is very unfortunate that the SGF is instigating the governors or using his office to discourage the government from paying the new minimum wage proposed by the NLC.” He said the capacity to pay a reasonable national minimum wage was not dependent on surplus resources but rather on the necessity to do the right thing.
“Our concern is not at the pleasure of the governor or government officials; it is a necessity, a need. Those who claim they cannot afford to pay the minimum wage can’t even give such money to their side chicks; they give them more than that,” the NLC spokesperson said.
