Trace Reporters –Kaduna state Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Wednesday held a peaceful protest, asking the National Assembly to throw out the bill seeking to remove the national minimum wage from exclusive list.
The labour union members who marched from the NLC state secretariat to the Kaduna State House of Assembly, chanting solidarity songs, carried placards and banners with inscriptions like: Why are our representatives against us? Workers create wealth and deserve the best and Next level pay minimum wage now, among others.
Presenting the labour’s request to the Speaker of Kaduna State House of Assembly, Hon. Yusuf Ibrahim Zailani, the State Chairman of NLC,, Comrade Ayuba Magaji Suleiman said, National Minimum Wage workers’ right and should not be decentralized.
Comrade Suleiman who led his Council and Congress members on the peaceful protest lamented that, it was a shame for him at national level of the labour movement, that the House Representatives member who sponsored what he called the anti workers bill is from Kaduna State.
The labour leader said, “it is a shame for me at the national level that, member representing Sabon Gari Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, Hon. Garba Datti Babawo, sponsored the anti workers bill seeking to remove minimu wage from exclusive list.
“What is still baffling us is that, Kaduna State was the first to implement the new National Minimum wage of N30,000 and that, lawmakers don’t pay workers salaries. So, whose interest is Hon. Babawo protecting?” He queried.
Comrade Suleiman while emphasizing that, decentralizing the the minimum wage will jeopardize workers’ rights, however solicited the support of the State Assembly to stop the bill from being passed into law.
Recieving the protesting workers, the House of Assembly Speaker, member
representing Zaria Kewaye and Chairman House Committee on Appropriation and Finance, by Hon. Mohammed Ahmed assured that, the assembly will always protect workers interests, saying that, workers welfare is top in the agenda of the Kaduna state government and that has been demonstrated by the State being the first to implement minimum wage.
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