The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared that Nigerian workers will not be treated as beggars in the country, stressing that state governors cannot unilaterally decide the minimum wage of workers.
In a statement by its Head of Information and Public Affairs, Benson Upah, the NLC described the stance of the state governors as dictatorial and emphasized that the national minimum wage is a collective agreement designed to ensure a minimum standard of living for every worker in the country.
Upah noted that the minimum wage is separate from the individual pay structures of states, which already reflect their unique financial capabilities and circumstances. He warned that allowing state governors to pay workers whatever they like would be akin to reducing workers to beggars, saying “Enough is enough!”
The NLC’s statement reads in part: “The concept of a national minimum wage represents a national wage floor, a baseline below which no worker should be paid… Nigerian workers should not be reduced to beggars!”
