Labour yesterday rejected governors’ claim that states cannot pay N30,000 minimum wage if it is eventually approved.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) condemned the threat by the governors to sack workers should the new wage come into effect.

To NLC President Ayuba Wabba, the threat is not new in the struggle for review of the national minimum wage.

He said workers might be prevailed upon not to vote for governors who fail to pay the new wage.

Wabba urged each of the governors to go to their state and inform workers on their individual position on the new national minimum wage of N30, 000.

He further urged President Muhammadu Buhari to speedily present to the National Assembly the bill on the National Minimum Wage for appropriate amendment and implementation.

“It would interest Nigerians to know that the new national minimum wage of N30,000 was a product of intense and robust negotiations at the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Negotiation Committee that lasted for one year.

“At the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Negotiation Committee, state governments were represented by six states, one state from each of the six geo-political zones.

The statement added: “The 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) recognises individual states in the Collective Bargaining Process not Nigeria Governors Forum. The states, like the other social partners, have already defended their positions during negotiations at the National Minimum Wage Tripartite Negotiation Committee vis-à-vis counter proposals.

“Alhaji Yari should desist from using the platform of the Nigeria Governors Forum to seek political relevance. His tactics of blackmail against workers is already time worn and the stench is already offensive.

“We hereby reiterate our directive to Nigerian workers to vote out any politician or political party that refuses to pay the new national minimum wage of N30,000. We shall continue to consolidate our efforts to strengthen already existing platforms and structures to give teeth to our resolve to vote out anti-labour governors and politicians in the forthcoming 2019 general election.

•Excerpted from The Nation report

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