The joint labour unions have threatened to shutdown states that fail to implement the N70,000 minimum wage approved by President Bola Tinubu.
The chairman of the Osun chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Christopher Arapasopo, said the joint labour unions have agreed to enforce the new N70,000 minimum wage in all the states.
Speaking in Osogbo, Osun State’s capital city on Saturday, July 20, 2024, Arapasopo said that the unions agreed on the new minimum wage as a sacrifice to prevent a hike in fuel pump prices.
According to Arapasopo, members of the NLC at the National Executive Council meeting agreed to ensure that the minimum wage in all the states would be enforced and that any state that failed to pay would be shutdown.
The chairman said, “The governors would never say they were not there when it was agreed. In fact, they were the ones agitating for N70,000 as the minimum wage.
“We, as labour, suggested N250,000 and they brought it down to N62,000 before shifting ground to N70,000, and we accepted it. We have sacrificed a lot of things.
“So, for any government or governor that fails to pay, we will shut that state down. It is a must for them to pay. It is a no-go area. We are not negotiating that,” Arapasopo said.
Downside of N250,000 as minimum wage
He stated that at the meeting, the NLC national president told the union leaders that accepting a minimum wage of N250,000 would lead to an increase in fuel price and inflation.
He said the N70,000 accepted by labour was still fair as it would be the least salary paid to workers in the lowest cadre.
Arapasopo added that consequential adjustments and benefits attached to the levels would even jack up the wage when implemented.
He added that the Osun chapter of the union would meet with the state government to discuss some allowances for workers but the minimum wage stands non-negotiable.
