The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared its intention to strongly oppose any move by the National Assembly to remove labour matters, particularly minimum wage determination, from the federal government's exclusive legislative list.
NLC President Joe Ajaero made this declaration on Friday during the National Administrative Council (NAC) meeting of the Central Working Committee held in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
Ajaero described the proposed legislative change as "an exercise in futility," emphasizing that minimum wage issues are globally treated as national matters in accordance with International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions, which recognize member countries as entities rather than sub-national units like states.
Protecting National Wage Standards
According to the labour leader, the lawmakers' plan appears to be a calculated attempt to undermine the national minimum wage structure by shifting labour-related responsibilities to individual states. This would include allowing states to establish their own industrial courts to independently handle wage disputes—a move Ajaero argues violates ILO principles.
"The National Assembly should not go into this exercise in futility unless members will also allow their respective states to determine their wages," Ajaero stated firmly.
If implemented, the proposed change would move minimum wage determination to the concurrent list, enabling each state to independently set wages for their workers rather than following a nationally established standard.
The NLC's resistance comes amid ongoing debates about federalism and resource control in Nigeria, with some stakeholders advocating for greater state autonomy while others, like the labour unions, insist on maintaining national standards for worker protections.
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