New minimum wage: TUC reacts to Governors’ proposed N22,500, takes stand

The Trade Union Congress, TUC, has said it has rejected the N22,500 minimum wage proposed by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum.

The TUC spoke through its President, Boboi Kaigama, at the end of its National Executive Council meeting in Lagos on Wednesday
According to NAN, Kaigama, who read the communique, said that the NEC rejected the amount on the grounds that the Governors’ Forum was not an established body empowered to negotiate the new minimum wage.

”The Tripartite Committee has concluded its job and has come up with N30,000 and TUC stands by this decision.
”The NEC-in-session condemns in totality, the statement credited to some quarters that the Tripartite Committee on minimum wage did not agree on N30,000. This is a travesty of history,” Kaigama said.
He said that the Tripartite Committee included the representatives of governors, NECA, and NACCIMA and it has concluded its job and came up with N30,000 which TUC agreed with.

He further said it was wrong for the government to influence the tenure of union executives and members through its white paper and resolved that such attempt would be resisted.
The TUC president refered the government to convention 187 of the International Labour Organisation that allowed workers and employers to have the right to manage their affairs without interference.
”The NEC therefore rejects the white paper meant to cripple labour agitation for the welfare of its members and the society in general,” he said.
Kaigama said that the TUC NEC aligned itself with the position of the organised labour to commence a nationwide strike on Nov. 6, if the government failed to implement the N30,000 National Minimum Wage.