FG to transmit minimum wage bill to NASS Jan 23 as protest grounds Lagos

The Federal Government said it will transmit the minimum wage bill to the National Assembly on January 23 amid nationwide protest by organized labour to draw government’s attention to the need for urgency in implementing the new minimum wage.

The protest on Tuesday caused heavy traffic on Lagos roads, while many commuters were stranded at various bus stops.

The sensitisation protest by the Labour started from Maryland as early as 7 a.m., to the Lagos State Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja.

The protest also resulted in heavy traffic on Ikorodu road, down to Alausa, Ikeja.

The organised labour is protesting government’s delay in submitting the N30,000 minimum wage report agreed by the tripartite committee.

NAN reports that the tripartite committee in November 2018, presented its report to President Muhammadu Buhari and expected the report to be forwarded to the National Assembly after two weeks.

Mr Solomon Adelegan, Vice President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) told the workers that the current demand for a new minimum wage had gone beyond negotiation stage.

According to him, labour will not renege until the report of the new minimum wage is passed to the National Assembly for implementation.

Adelegan said that the essence of the protest was not political but to hand over a letter to Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode, to further communicate with the Governors’ Forum on the agreed minimum wage.

Mr Abiodun Aremu, General Secretary, Joint Action Front (JAF), said that the N30,000 minimum wage was not negotiable, saying that the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), would support the organised labour till the new minimum wage is implemented.

However, when Mr Benjamin Adeyinka, a Special Adviser to Gov. Ambode told the protesting workers that the governor was not available, they shouted and insisted that the gate should be opened.

Adeyinka was not allowed to make further speech, as the protesting workers insisted that they did not want to hear from him.

Some of the placards carried by the workers read: “N30,000 minimum wage, not negotiable”; “place politicians and workers on the same living wage salary structure”, among others.

NAN reports that the one-day sensitisation protest was held nationwide by the NLC, Trade Union Congress ( NLC) and the United Labour Congress ( ULC).