According to Vanguard, The National Labour Congress, NLC, the governors’ interference in the national minimum wage negotiation is unconstitutional.
The head of information and public affairs for the National Labour Congress (NLC), Benson Upah, stated this in an interview on Arise Television on Monday.
Upah addressed the NLC’s staunch refusal to allow governors to influence the determination of the minimum wage.
He said, “The process for arriving at a national minimum wage comprises three parties, which is labour, employers, and government. The government is currently playing a dual role of being the employer as well."
“Governors have participated in this process, and for some of them to wish to leave the national team (run by the government) will be detrimental to the entire process and an act of betrayal and treachery, as they are fully aware that they have been a member of the government team".
They lack the constitutional authority to take control of it. According to Upah, "prioritisation and political will" are the main concerns in the minimum wage negotiations with the government.
He declared that Nigeria has followed this procedure since 1961 and called the governor's attempt to lead the negotiations "completely irrational."
He cautioned that adding labour to the concurrent list might result in an increase of legislation, which would make it more challenging for investors to understand the legal system.
"The purpose of placing labour on the exclusive list is to maintain a particular standard in the enforcement of labour regulations".
"It also simplifies matters for investors by removing the need for them to navigate several legal frameworks when handling labor-related matters," he explained.