The Organized Labour movement in Nigeria has called on President Bola Tinubu to consult with them before transmitting a proposed bill on the new minimum wage to the National Assembly.
During his Democracy Day speech last month, Tinubu had promised to soon send an executive bill to formalize a new minimum wage agreement, emphasizing his preference for a democratic approach over dictatorship in dealing with labor matters. However, nearly a month later, the president has yet to make good on that pledge.
The leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed disappointment over the delay, stating that it is stalling the much-anticipated meeting of the NLC’s National Executive Committee, which was set to involve around 300 labor leaders.
A key NLC official told Punch newspaper that the congress is waiting for the president to make a move, but expressed doubt that Tinubu would actually consult them before sending the bill to the National Assembly.
“If he (Tinubu) singlehandedly takes a decision, you know it can’t be the same as the decision of the National Assembly,” the source said. “He needs to send the bill so the lawmakers can amend whatever he is sending and call for a public hearing. So we are waiting for him to make his move.”
The official warned that if Tinubu sends the bill without first consulting the labor unions, it would mean he has “taken sides.” The source said the “wiser thing is for him to intervene since there is a stalemate” between the government and labor representatives.
However, the NLC leader expressed skepticism that the presidency understands the need for such consultations, stating that “you only need to sit with some of these people in government to know they are empty.”