The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Ebonyi chapter has accused state governors and the National Assembly of playing politics with the payment of N30,000 minimum wage to workers.
While urging them to desist from this, the NLC also tasked the governors and the lawmakers to give priority to the wellbeing of workers in the country.
The Chairman of the NLC, Ebonyi State Chapter, Ikechukwu Nwafor, who spoke on Tuesday in Abakaliki, said it was sad that the N30,000 national minimum wage signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 was not still paid to the workers.
Nwafor, who described the minimum wage as right of workers, stressed the need to take politics away from their wellbeing.
“Politicizing minimum wage is a crime against workers’ wellbeing and crime against humanity,” he said.
On the nationwide rally slated for Wednesday by Labour Unions against a Bill in the National Assembly to remove minimum wage from the exclusive list, Nwafor said the rally was a welcome development.
“You all know that the issue of minimum wage has been a big issue in this country. But this is a situation that has been taken care of by the law of this country through the Minimum Wage Act.
“It is very unfortunate that up till now, so many states are yet to implement the N30,000 for workers. Some have paid fake wages like peanuts to its workers.
“So, the issue on ground now is the Bill sponsored in the National Assembly requesting the removal of minimum wage from the exclusive list. We are going out on Wednesday to say that such a move to remove it is not obtainable.
“Minimum wage is the right of workers and should not be politicized as established by law. If the National Assembly do that, what will be the fate of workers.
“We are going out to tell the whole world that we are against any Bill to remove workers’ salary from the exclusive list.
“Look at the living standards and cost of food items in the market. Electricity bill has been increased by over 100 percent, fuel pump price has also increased, causing daily price change on food commodities across the country.
“How do you want the workers to survive in this situation, including children’s school fees and house rent,” the Chairman lamented. (NAN)
