Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Imo State chapter has joined its counterparts nationwide to reject ànd condemn the move by the political class to remove the minimum wage from the exclusive list to concurrent list in the constitution.
At an emergency state administrative council meeting held in Owerri, the leadership and members of the NLC, Imo State issued a letter signed by the Chairman, Austin Chilapku and Secretary Ken Onwuemeodo to the Speaker Imo State House of Assembly condemning the move.
According to them “while we align with the national leadership of NLC in this struggle, we urge you, members of the National Assembly ànd members of the Imo State House of Assembly, to reject this Bill listed in the House of Representatives as HB 950 sponsored by one Hon. Garba Datti Mohammed from Sabo Gari Federal Constituency.”
The labour further said “the national minimum wage is a global standard adopted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) through convention 26 which was ratified in Nigeria in June 1961.
Furthermore, the Imo labour said “it was thereby given statutory effect by the then President Shehu Shagari in 1981 who signed it into law.”
It explained that its reasons for condemning the Bill and urging members national and state Assembly no members to reject the bill was that the Bill seek to reduce the status of Nigerian workers at this critical period.
It maintained that the Bill if pass into law will place the faith of workers at the mercy of some Shylock employers who are not even willing to pay salaries.
Visibly angry, the labour leaders who did not stage protest said with emphasis “this is the position of Imo workers and those who elected you are urging you to be in line with us in this struggle.”
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According to them “this letter, therefore, acts as a protest by NLC, Imo State chapter against the anti-workers Bill which already has passed its first and second reading in the House of Representatives.”
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