The leadership of the  Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has vowed to enforce to the letter the implementation of the New National Minimum Wage once the issue of consequential adjustments has been settled with the state governments.
National President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, made these feelings known while addressing  newsmen during the opening ceremony of the Nigeria Labour Congress 2019 National Leadership Retreat holding at Nike Lake Hotel, Enugu.
The NLC President, who expressed regrets  that  Nigerian workers were  forced to beg for their salaries which are now owed in arrears in this era, said: “While other countries have fully accommodated and automated the process of minimum wage adjustments and are now focused on living wages, we are faced with a situation where we are forced to bargain too hard and wait for too long for meagre increases in minimum wage and adjustments in salary.”
He noted that the new minimum wage is now a law that can be enforced in the court of law if it is breached or violated by government or private person.
“Let me also inform you that there is difference between the law we have and the law that has existed from 1981 till date. In 1981, when the first minimum wage was enacted, there was no provision for sanctions. In this one we negotiated there is a provision for sanctions because it is already a law. Any state or person that violates the provision of law, there are three ways to address it: one is that the worker can report his union’’.
Continuing, the NLC president further said “Once you report, we can look at the means and avenues, including court, to enforce the provision of the law. So, now there is a clout to enforce the provisions of the law. So clearly speaking, once there’s understanding or agreement, about the issue of consequential adjustment, the issue is settled and where there is actual issue of none respect for the law, it can be enforced legally in a court of law”.