NLC: Some states using COVID-19 as excuse not to pay minimum wage

Joe Ajaero, deputy president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), says some states in the country are using COVID-19 as an excuse not to pay minimum wage.

The NLC had said it would embark on a nationwide protest on Wednesday.

In a interview with Channels Television on Wednesday, Ajaero said the protest is because the NLC was worried about a bill aimed at moving the minimum wage from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list.

He said while negotiations for minimum wage was in progress, the least payable amount by states was put into consideration.

“The capacity of states was put into consideration during the negotiations. That is why the minimum wage was put at N30,000. Some states have the capacity to pay N100,000. But there was consideration based on the least; there was consideration based on their revenue,” he said.

Ajaero said though some states have been implementing the minimum wage, others are praying for the pandemic not to end because they use it as an excuse not to implement the wage.

“Some states in good faith have started implementing, but many of them are hiding under this issue of COVID-19 and that is why you see them praying that this will continue so that they will not be engaged on this issue of minimum wage payment. And that is why some of them are not paying but are tending to some other needs which to them is their priority,” he said.

“Critically, about nine states are chronic about it, they are fighting against the implementation. And then some of the other states have started the implementation but some in defect.”