Minimum wage: We’ll shut down state that fails to pay, says labour

Minimum wage: We’ll shut down state that fails to pay, says labour

Mr. Christopher Arapasopo, Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Osun Chapter, has declared that joint labour unions are united in enforcing the new N70,000 minimum wage across all states. He warned that any state that fails to comply will face a shutdown.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Osogbo, Arapasopo explained that the unions agreed to the new minimum wage as a compromise to prevent an increase in fuel prices. He emphasized that during the NEC meeting, all members committed to enforcing the wage agreement unanimously decided to shut down any non-compliant state.

“The governors would never say they were not there when it was agreed. They were agitating for N70,000 as the minimum wage,” Arapasopo stated. “We, as labour, suggested N250,000, and they brought it down to N62,000 before shifting ground to N70,000, and we accepted it. We have sacrificed a lot of things.”

He clarified that the new minimum wage payment is non-negotiable, stating, “So, for any government or governor that fails to pay, we will shut that state down. It is a must for them to pay. It is a no-go area. We are not negotiating that.”

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Arapasopo elaborated that the union’s decision to accept the N70,000 minimum wage was a strategic move to avoid further hardships for Nigerians. “The President said if we insisted on our demand of N250,000, he would have to increase the fuel price. However, as good citizens of Nigeria, we believe the demand should not be only for the benefit of a particular sector alone. As workers, we should be able to think about other Nigerians and not ourselves alone,” he said.

He explained that had the union insisted on the N250,000 minimum wage; it would have led to higher fuel prices and increased inflation, negatively impacting both workers and the general populace. Arapasopo reassured that the N70,000 wage was still fair and would be the base salary for the lowest cadre of workers, with additional benefits and consequential adjustments likely to increase overall earnings.

He concluded by noting that the Osun chapter of the union would engage with the state government to discuss allowances for workers, but reiterated that the minimum wage itself remains non-negotiable.

Minimum wage: We’ll shut down state that fails to pay, says labour