The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero has appealed to the National Assembly to liaise with the tripartite committee on the new minimum wage to set up mechanisms for regular and systematic review of workers’ salaries.
Ajaero who made the plea at the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, (NILDS) retreat on “Labour reforms and the quest for a living wage in Nigeria: A focus on legislative interventions” said the review would ensure they keep pace with inflation and cost of living.
Recall that THE WHISTLER had earlier reported that Ajaero had called for the national minimum wage to be reviewed annually to enable workers to cushion the negative impact of the economic hardship in the country.
In his goodwill message in Abuja, Ajaero charged the legislators to review and update the labour laws to reflect the realities of today’s economy and protect the people.
He said, “We call on the National Assembly to join us in calling on the executive to transmit to the Assembly the bill on the reviewed labour administration laws which had gone through the tripartite process some years back but seemed to have been impounded by the executive.
“NASS should work with the tripartite to establish mechanisms for regular and systematic review of wage levels to ensure they keep pace with inflation and the cost of living.
“Workers are not beggars neither are they slaves. We create wealth and we deserve a healthy portion of it. The present angst in the country can only be assuaged by reasonable income to Nigerian people and workers.”
He further urged the lawmakers to lay more focus on strengthening social security systems to provide a safety net for workers during times of economic hardship, unemployment, or health emergencies.
According to him, “The legislature should make laws that encourage continuous investment in education and vocational training to equip our workforce with the skills needed to thrive in a dynamic and evolving job market.”
Work With Us To Review Minimum Wage Regularly, NLC Begs NASS is first published on The Whistler Newspaper