NLC Urges Lawmakers To Intervene In Wage Review

The Nigeria Labour Congress is calling on lawmakers to review the national living wage, ensuring workers can meet their basic needs.

During the National Retreat for Trade Union Leaders and Members of the National Assembly Committees on Labour, organized with the support of Freidrich Ebert Stiftung, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Joe Ajaero, emphasized the need for a living wage.

Addressing the event themed “Quest for A National Living Wage in Nigeria” held in Uyo, Ajaero highlighted the importance of an alliance between trade unions and the legislature to investigate strategies, identify shared objectives, and advocate effectively for the implementation of a national living wage.

Ajaero assured that the Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity and the entire Senate, under the leadership of President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, would act as the voice of Nigerian workers when the Living Wage bill reaches the National Assembly.

He expressed the potential to pass a National Living Wage Act with broader coverage and improved wage standards, emphasizing the moral imperative of this pursuit for fairness, dignity, and social justice for workers in the face of economic challenges.

Ajaero stressed that a national living wage is not just an economic necessity but a moral duty, especially given the hardships faced by workers due to past economic policies. He emphasized the role of a thriving workforce in benefiting the nation by reviving businesses and boosting the economy.