The Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Tuesday said it would be impossible for the Senate to deregulate the Minimum Wage and called on the legislators to reconsider their position on the issue.
The TUC President, Mr Bobboi Kaigama, was reacting to the removal of the National Minimum Wage from the “Exclusive List’’ to the “Concurrent List’’ in the ongoing constitution review by the Senate.
He said the decentralisation of the National Minimum Wage Law showed clearly that the upper legislative arm was acting contrary to the will of the Nigerian people.
Kagaima said that if the Federal Government should legislate for federal workers and the states legislate for the state workers, who would legislate for the private sector.
He explained that creating two regimes of minimum wage and excluding the private sector in the fixing of wages in the country would not be welcomed by the congress and the labour movement in general.
“I appeal to the senate to rescind their stand as government cannot be calling for social dialogue and still be doing things that will bring crisis.
“For us to stay off strike and live in peace, creating two regimes of minimum wage and excluding the private sector in the fixing of wages will be resisted by labour movements.’’
Kaigama called on the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu, to appeal to the Senate, on behalf of the labour movements, to change its stand on the issue.
