The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has threatened to embark on a one-month national strike action if the National Assembly passes into law ‘unpatriotic and obnoxious policies’ that could hinder the success of a New Minimum Wage Act for Nigerian workers.

Organized Labour stressed it will not accept any slave wage as President Bola Tinubu prepares to pass the Minimum wage bill to the National Assembly next week.

Speaking at the 67th yearly meeting of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), NLC President, Joe Ajaero said Nigerian workers and citizens have had enough in terms of hardship.

He vowed that any attempt to disrespect or discredit the Nigerian worker irrespective of the states they are from would be resisted by the NLC.

He said it was necessary to take such a stance, given moves by some state governors and lawmakers to decentralize the national minimum wage system.

Ajaero noted that the International Labour Organisation (ILO) recognizes wages as a national law that transcends sub-nationals.

He said: “For some people to be instigated by governors, who are saying they cannot pay N62,000, even when their members were at the tripartite meeting negotiating with us, shows that it is done in bad faith.

“In the constitution, there is a provision for equal work, equal pay. And if you go into job analysis and job evaluation, a clerk in Lagos may be doing the same work as a clerk in Sokoto. Even if (the clerk in) Sokoto may be doing more, for you, in the spirit of decentralisation of wages, to be paying someone here more than the other is against the concept of equity. Some arguments, when they are churned out, become lame.

“The issue of receiving revenue as a basis of payment of minimum wage is a lame word. If any governor is making that argument, then he does not know what governance is all about. He has to use his capacity and acumen for the prosperity of his state.”

Also, Ajaero called for legislators’ salaries to be based on the national minimum wage.

He said: “You cannot be in the Senate and we do not know your wage, and you are legislating on other people’s wages. You should be under the minimum wage. Even if it will take them to create Levels 18 and 20, they should come under the wage floor. The money they spend there is unimaginable. It’s either we address this or the country will continue to remain like that.”