NLC President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, has strongly cautioned the National Assembly against reassigning labor issues, including the crucial matter of the national minimum wage, from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list.
He issued this warning on Friday during the National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting of the Central Working Committee in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Ajaero condemned the proposed move as a “futile exercise,” emphasizing that minimum wage is universally recognized as a national issue, aligning with International Labour Organization (ILO) conventions. These conventions treat member countries as unified entities, not as fragmented sub-national units like states.
He characterised the lawmakers’ plan as a deliberate attempt to undermine the national minimum wage structure and offload other labor responsibilities onto individual states.
This includes the establishment of independent state industrial courts for wage disputes, which he asserted would be a violation of ILO principles.
Ajaero stated, “The National Assembly should not go into this exercise in futility unless members will also allow their respective states to determine their wages.”
He threatened that if attempts were made to “smuggle” labor matters onto the concurrent list, the NLC would mobilize workers to protest, even up to election day.
In a later discussion, the NLC President reiterated organized labor’s firm opposition to any efforts to weaken the minimum wage, urging lawmakers to uphold justice and protect citizens’ interests.
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He highlighted that a minimum wage exists globally for worker protection and that Nigeria has legislated a ₦70,000 minimum wage, with states permitted to pay more, and many already doing so.
Ajaero stressed that allowing states to independently determine minimum wages would jeopardize the welfare of average workers nationwide.
He also clarified that the NLC leadership was unaware of any state refusing to pay the newly approved minimum wage.
Regarding the delayed implementation of local government autonomy, Ajaero emphasised the necessity of approaching the Supreme Court for further interpretation of its ruling to ensure full and proper enforcement, in line with constitutional provisions.
