The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) says state governments do not have any reason not to pay the N30,000 minimum wage.

According to the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, the wage is now binding on all states following President Muhammadu Buhari’s assent.

Wabba disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television’s breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily on Monday. He added that 10 states have completed the process of negotiating with the Nigerian workers in their domain.

“Let us also not lose sight of the fact that from the day the President assented to the bill, it becomes a law. So, therefore, states have no reason not to respect a law that had been enacted,” he said.

NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, says the minimum wage is now binding on all states following the President’s assent.

Speaking further he listed the states that have respected the deadline given to them on the payment of the minimum wage to be: Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Lagos and Ebonyi.

“We have those (states) that are still on the table and they have until yesterday (January 5) to complete the process. This constitutes about 23 states that are on the discussion table.

“We have seen commitments. We insist on the process of collective bargaining because we don’t want an allocation of pedants to workers.

“The issue of bargaining is enshrined in international law that workers should be able to know what they will be paid because the N30,000 is already a law. What we are discussing is the consequential adjustment,” he stated.

President Buhari had in April 2019 signed the Minimum Wage Repeal And Re-Enactment Act, 2019, aimed at boosting the morale of the Nigerian workers.

While asking them to understand the current economic situation facing the nation, the President said he expects the workers and the NLC to show more commitment to work. (Channels TV)