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Thursday 29 August 2013

NLC set for war against Senate over Minimum Wage


The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said it would mobilise its members against the decision of the Senate seeking the removal of the national minimum wage from the Exclusive List because of its potential to create a pool of the working poor and cause slave labour in Nigeria.

The Labour center in a communiqué issued at its National Executive Council (NEC), on thursday and signed by its President, Comrade Abdulwahed Omar, and Acting General Secretary, Comrade Chris Uyot, condemned in strong terms the inability/refusal of the government to reach an amicable resolution of its dispute with the Academic Union of Universities (ASUU).

Part of the Communiqué read: ”The Congress is set to mobilise its members across the country against the decision of the Senate on the prescription of a national minimum wage on the Exclusive List, because of its potential to create a pool of the working poor, judicial nightware, slave labour , an environment for payment of arbitrary wages; destruction of the economy; major industrial unrest; and worsening national security situation”

He said the Congress will leave no stone unturned in resisting the Senate, adding that in spite of the overwhelming support of the Nigerian people, the Senate, against every grain of wisdom, removed Labour and the national minimum wage from the Exclusive List.