Obiano not sincere with implementation of minimum wage – NLC

Maduako Igbokwe ,Awka

 

ONITSHA, Anambra – Chairman of Anambra State Nigeria Labour Congress  (NLC) Comrade Jerry Nubia has disclosed that  the  implementation of national minimum wage  in the  state   has been haphazard .

Nubia made the  statement  on Wednesday while addressing the speaker and some members  of Anambra State House of Assembly  during the NLC protest against moving minimum wage from Exclusive list to Concurrent List .

He said “The minimum wage  in Anambra State as far as they  are concerned   is implemented  haphazardly  and they  don’t want  to bother  ourselves with that today. If the minimum wage is moved from exclusive list to current ,many state governments will  force  workers to resign or accept whatever  is offered to them as salary.

“If  the minimum wage is N30,000 and many states have not  paid and if it is left  for  state to decide who get what as salary ,some will ask workers to resign if they do not  want  to collect what they can pay

“He said there must be a national  bench mark  for minimum wage and that is why the need for it to still remain in exclusive list  .

According to him, the labour sees the move as a step against working class in Nigeria, noting that the labour is afraid that some state governments may use it to frustrate workers out of services   .

According to Nubia ,the implications of transferring national minimum wage from exclusive to concurrent list   will give the state governors opportunity  to drag the country back to era of slave wages .He also said that the move will  exponentially  create and expand a community of working poor class  in the country .

The state chairman also said that it could lead to the exclusion of the private sector from the concept ,rationale and logic of national  minimum wage ,noting that it is the informal sector that is  horrendously unfair to  labour .

He appealed to speaker and members of state House of Assembly to guide themselves and fight against the  evil if it comes to them . He described the bill as an anti labour  bill meant  to hamstring the nation’s effort to reduce poverty  and inequality in the society  .

Reacting ,the Speaker of Anambra  state House of assembly ,Hon. Uche Okafor  assured that they will do their best for the protection of workers in the state.

According to him, they will add their voices to others across  the country to make sure Nigerian workers do not suffer . He also said that the state House of Assembly will not support any thing that would work against the workers in the state .