‘Make Your Case At Public Hearing’ — Gbaja Advises NLC Over Bill To Decentralise Minimum Wage

*Please Don’t Go On Strike Again, Gbajabiamila Tells NLC,
TUC

The leadership of the House of Representatives, on Tuesday,
begged organised workers not to embark on a nationwide strike over
the crisis trailing the bill which seeks to remove the minimum wage
from the Exclusive Legislative List to Concurrent Legislative
List.

The Speaker, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, gave the charge in Abuja,
during a meeting Presidents of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Trade
Union Congress (TUC) ahead of the proposed public hearing on the
removal of Minimum Wage from Exclusive Legislative List to
Concurrent Legislative List, which was sponsored by Hon Datti
Mohammed.

The Speaker who argued that those who debated for or against the
proposed bill, spoke on what they felt was in the best interest of
Nigeria and Nigerian workers, urged the organised labour not to
embark on strike.

“I want us to agree that whatever the issue is on the minimum
wage, whatever was proposed, whatever was debated, those who
debated for or against, every single person that spoke on the floor
was well-intended. Everybody spoke for or against what they felt
was in the best interest of Nigeria and Nigerian workers. We may
agree to disagree.

“We are in a democracy in which labour is an essential part
because, without labour, I don’t know what kind of democracy we
will be practising. I invited you so that we could discuss the
procedures. When issues like this come up, we should agree to
disagree and make our point, make a compelling argument and make
our representatives see the reasons why this is not the way it
should go. Nobody is a fountain of knowledge.

“So, when we debate a bill, we say we are debating the merit and
demerit and that was what happened. Somebody brought a bill, I
believe was coming from the point of view that states are always
having problems in paying salaries and the President has to give
states money to pay off workers.

“So, many have argued that it is only the states that know their
purse. That was the argument of those who proposed the bill and the
argument can be interrogated and nor for the federal to fix
salaries which at the end of the day, states cannot pay. That was
the argument that may be valid are may not be valid.

“The process of lawmaking is very elaborate and long. In
arresting a piece of legislation, you can do it through advocacy
and through a public hearing. So, where I had a problem was casting
aspersion on proponents of the bill or those who spoke on it. We
cannot all agree all the time. So, there are cases you have to make
your case through a public hearing.

“You have made some compelling arguments which are some of the
things we want to hear. There is no way I can fault that. You have
spoken about the rationale of having the minimum wage on the
Exclusive List. But let us hear from the other side, even if it is
erroneous. We will make sure that this bill gets adequate
attention.

“You have obviously done your own work. When we begin to
castigate a member, the member stands in jeopardy and even in
danger and some unforeseen things can happen. We will do what we
need to do and what will be of importance to us. You know our
members and you know that we will do the right thing. But you can’t
stop bringing a bill.

“Beyond this bill, there will be other bills that we will not
like and those that don’t have any merit will die a natural death
especially with arguments like this. Please, let us tarry a while.
We have heard you loud and clear. You are allowed to protest. That
is what the arcade is there for. If I know a member is doing
anything altruistic, I will never allow it.

“Please don’t go on strike again. Please, no more strikes. Help
us tell your people that we care for them and we will always be for
them. We will not do anything that will halt the Nigerian people,”
the Speaker urged.

In his remarks, NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, urged the
House to jettison any form of legislation that would make State
Governments turn Nigerian workers into slave era by paying N10,000
monthly wage.

He said: “When we had the previous minimum wage, there were
states that were paying higher. When we negotiated the last minimum
wage, we had six Governors representing the Governors and we
received memos from all the states and some States even quoted
N40,000. National Bureau of Statistics, the CBN and other agencies
provided the data that were used and at the end of the day, a
consensus arrived.

“What happens is that when you fix the minimum, states will then
go and discuss with their workers because what we are setting at
the national is just the minimum. There is a difference between
negotiating consequential adjustment and the minimum wage.

“As we speak, all the 36 states have different salary structure
based on negotiation and the ability to pay. This has been the
process over the years. This issue is about the sovereignty of
Nigeria as a nation because it is the country that will be held
responsible and not the sub-national.

“We are saying that the minimum wage can only be legislated upon
by the National Assembly which has been the tradition. Also, it is
important to inform the members that once a convention is ratified,
it is binding on the member country and not the sub-national.

“Every member has a right to propose a bill, but we know that we
should make laws that are reasonable while taking on board some of
those issues involved especially the commitment of Nigeria as a
sovereign state that has signed these conventions and I must say
that the minimum wage is one of the conventions. If we allow states
to go and fix their wages, who will fix for the private sector?

“We are not saying there must be a uniform wage for everybody,
but just the minimum. That is why Nigerian workers are at a loss
and we felt that this is the first place to table our protest
because this is the House of the Nigerian people. We don’t have any
resources to lobby, but we have our mouth, feet and we are in every
constituency and therefore we can lobby. We are also aware of the
forces behind this bill and we are determined to defend this right
that Nigerian workers have earned in the past 40 years.

“We want to appreciate the role the House has played in previous
attempts to remove it from the exclusive list. If you remove the
bar, States will be paying N10,000 thereby returning Nigerians
workers to the slave era.”

He maintained that “States with least resources are the ones
that started paying the minimum wage and the fact is that minimum
wage has not been given to workers on a platter of gold. Jigawa,
Yobe, Borno started implementing the minimum wage. Rivers did not
until we went there to protest. So, it is not about resources, but
a priority.

“Some of the governors gave us information that they were
contacted on this issue and how it was being driven. We are working
on the basis of information. We are ready to defend our
position.

“If we are to start restructuring of wages, I think it should
start from the political class. When salaries were reviewed by 50
per cent in 2011, that of political office holders was reviewed by
800 per cent. So, if it is about the ability to pay, it should
start from that stage. Our own is only minimum wage while some are
collecting a maximum wage,” he noted.

*Please Don’t Go On Strike Again, Gbajabiamila Tells NLC,
TUC

The leadership of the House of Representatives, on Tuesday,
begged organised workers not to embark on a nationwide strike over
the crisis trailing the bill which seeks to remove the minimum wage
from the Exclusive Legislative List to Concurrent Legislative
List.

The Speaker, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, gave the charge in Abuja,
during a meeting Presidents of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Trade
Union Congress (TUC) ahead of the proposed public hearing on the
removal of Minimum Wage from Exclusive Legislative List to
Concurrent Legislative List, which was sponsored by Hon Datti
Mohammed.

The Speaker who argued that those who debated for or against the
proposed bill, spoke on what they felt was in the best interest of
Nigeria and Nigerian workers, urged the organised labour not to
embark on strike.

“I want us to agree that whatever the issue is on the minimum
wage, whatever was proposed, whatever was debated, those who
debated for or against, every single person that spoke on the floor
was well-intended. Everybody spoke for or against what they felt
was in the best interest of Nigeria and Nigerian workers. We may
agree to disagree.

“We are in a democracy in which labour is an essential part
because, without labour, I don’t know what kind of democracy we
will be practising. I invited you so that we could discuss the
procedures. When issues like this come up, we should agree to
disagree and make our point, make a compelling argument and make
our representatives see the reasons why this is not the way it
should go. Nobody is a fountain of knowledge.

“So, when we debate a bill, we say we are debating the merit and
demerit and that was what happened. Somebody brought a bill, I
believe was coming from the point of view that states are always
having problems in paying salaries and the President has to give
states money to pay off workers.

“So, many have argued that it is only the states that know their
purse. That was the argument of those who proposed the bill and the
argument can be interrogated and nor for the federal to fix
salaries which at the end of the day, states cannot pay. That was
the argument that may be valid are may not be valid.

“The process of lawmaking is very elaborate and long. In
arresting a piece of legislation, you can do it through advocacy
and through a public hearing. So, where I had a problem was casting
aspersion on proponents of the bill or those who spoke on it. We
cannot all agree all the time. So, there are cases you have to make
your case through a public hearing.

“You have made some compelling arguments which are some of the
things we want to hear. There is no way I can fault that. You have
spoken about the rationale of having the minimum wage on the
Exclusive List. But let us hear from the other side, even if it is
erroneous. We will make sure that this bill gets adequate
attention.

“You have obviously done your own work. When we begin to
castigate a member, the member stands in jeopardy and even in
danger and some unforeseen things can happen. We will do what we
need to do and what will be of importance to us. You know our
members and you know that we will do the right thing. But you can’t
stop bringing a bill.

“Beyond this bill, there will be other bills that we will not
like and those that don’t have any merit will die a natural death
especially with arguments like this. Please, let us tarry a while.
We have heard you loud and clear. You are allowed to protest. That
is what the arcade is there for. If I know a member is doing
anything altruistic, I will never allow it.

“Please don’t go on strike again. Please, no more strikes. Help
us tell your people that we care for them and we will always be for
them. We will not do anything that will halt the Nigerian people,”
the Speaker urged.

In his remarks, NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, urged the
House to jettison any form of legislation that would make State
Governments turn Nigerian workers into slave era by paying N10,000
monthly wage.

He said: “When we had the previous minimum wage, there were
states that were paying higher. When we negotiated the last minimum
wage, we had six Governors representing the Governors and we
received memos from all the states and some States even quoted
N40,000. National Bureau of Statistics, the CBN and other agencies
provided the data that were used and at the end of the day, a
consensus arrived.

“What happens is that when you fix the minimum, states will then
go and discuss with their workers because what we are setting at
the national is just the minimum. There is a difference between
negotiating consequential adjustment and the minimum wage.

“As we speak, all the 36 states have different salary structure
based on negotiation and the ability to pay. This has been the
process over the years. This issue is about the sovereignty of
Nigeria as a nation because it is the country that will be held
responsible and not the sub-national.

“We are saying that the minimum wage can only be legislated upon
by the National Assembly which has been the tradition. Also, it is
important to inform the members that once a convention is ratified,
it is binding on the member country and not the sub-national.

“Every member has a right to propose a bill, but we know that we
should make laws that are reasonable while taking on board some of
those issues involved especially the commitment of Nigeria as a
sovereign state that has signed these conventions and I must say
that the minimum wage is one of the conventions. If we allow states
to go and fix their wages, who will fix for the private sector?

“We are not saying there must be a uniform wage for everybody,
but just the minimum. That is why Nigerian workers are at a loss
and we felt that this is the first place to table our protest
because this is the House of the Nigerian people. We don’t have any
resources to lobby, but we have our mouth, feet and we are in every
constituency and therefore we can lobby. We are also aware of the
forces behind this bill and we are determined to defend this right
that Nigerian workers have earned in the past 40 years.

“We want to appreciate the role the House has played in previous
attempts to remove it from the exclusive list. If you remove the
bar, States will be paying N10,000 thereby returning Nigerians
workers to the slave era.”

He maintained that “States with least resources are the ones
that started paying the minimum wage and the fact is that minimum
wage has not been given to workers on a platter of gold. Jigawa,
Yobe, Borno started implementing the minimum wage. Rivers did not
until we went there to protest. So, it is not about resources, but
a priority.

“Some of the governors gave us information that they were
contacted on this issue and how it was being driven. We are working
on the basis of information. We are ready to defend our
position.

“If we are to start restructuring of wages, I think it should
start from the political class. When salaries were reviewed by 50
per cent in 2011, that of political office holders was reviewed by
800 per cent. So, if it is about the ability to pay, it should
start from that stage. Our own is only minimum wage while some are
collecting a maximum wage,” he noted.