18,000 or nothing, says TUC

BY Victor Ahiuma-Young
LAGOS—TRADE Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, has advised its state leaders not to be cajoled by crafty state governors into accepting anything less than the N18,000 new minimum wage.

In a circular by its Secretary-General, Chief John Kolawole, TUC said: “Our attention has been drawn to reports in some newspapers which alleged that some state chapters had accepted amounts lower than N18,000 as minimum wage to workers.

We are constrained to emphasise that though  the negotiation for the implementation of the new minimum wage is the responsibility of the state chapters to initiate and hopefully conclude, it is beyond any state or even the national organ of TUC to accept anything below N18, 000.

“I wish to strongly advise state officers to resist any attempt to be cajoled or confused to concede to any agreement which is not in alignment with the Minimum Wage Act. The Act did not attach any string to payment of the wage.”

and we are convinced that all the 36 states of Nigeria can pay as instructed in the Act. In the event of any challenge, please seek the advice of the TUC National Secretariat or national leaders of the Senior Staff of Association concerned.”