New Minimum Wage: Pay Workers Their Demand – Shehu Sani Tells Governors
Shehu Sani, Senator representing Kaduna Central at the Senate, has urged State Governors to pay workers the amount they are demanding as new minimum wage.
Mr Sani gave the advise on Wednesday while reacting to reports of what the governors are willing pay as the new minimum wage.
State governors rising from an emergency meeting on Tuesday proposed to pay N22,500 as against the currently paid N18,000.
The proposal of the governors is below the N30,000 amount the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the umbrella body of workers in the country, are demanding.
They had threatened to embark on a nationwide industrial action if the government failed to agree to their demand on or before November 6.
While advising the governors to heed to the demand of the NLC, the lawmaker said the nation’s economy could afford to pay the amount demanded by the labour unions.
“NLC’s nationwide mass protest is commendable,” Mr Sani said of the planned downing of tools by workers in a tweet.
“Those who can pay 22k as minimum wage should just add 8k to make it 30k.
“Nigeria’s economy can sustain it.The struggle must continue,” he said.
The lawmaker added that he will strongly back the issue when the matter is tabled before the upper legislative chamber.
“I will add a strong voice of solidarity to this on the floor of the senate,” he added.