NLC has claimed that most Governors in the review committee are not paying minimum wage. The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero has said most Governors of the 37-Member Tripartite Committee On Minimum Wage are not complying with the proposed base pay structure.
Vice President, Kashim Shettima inaugurated the Minimum Wage committee in Abuja on Tuesday.
Shettima stated that the decision was aimed at ensuring a decent living wage and in compliance with the existing National Minimum Wage Act of 2019 which will expire in a few months from now.
Ajaero spoke during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics. on Tuesday night.
He said: ”Most of the Governors in the minimum wage committee are those who are not paying minimum wage or paying them in breaches.
”The Governors who are in full compliance with the minimum wage are not adequately represented, so whatever made the Federal Government bring in those who are not compliant or compliant in breaches to form the bulk of the membership of the minimum wage committee from the state government that will unfold with time,” he added.
When asked to name certain states that have failed to implement the minimum wage, Ajaero said, “A state like Zamfara, I don’t know how much Borno and Bauchi are paying, there is a minimum wage law which criminalises the non-compliance of the minimum wage.”
”And the Nigerian state has not tried to enforce these laws, others are just enforcing them in breaches. Take Anambra State for instance, Anambra State pays N30,000 for the least paid. I challenge anybody from Anambra to prove that even a permanent secretary is earning up to N170,000 or N180,000,” he said.
