News
Minimum Wage: Gbajabiamila Advises NLC On Steps To Take On Decentralisation Bill
Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of representatives, has admonition labour unions to make their reservations and discontent concerning the minimum wage decentralisation bill known at public hearing set aside to deliberate the bill.
The speaker issued the admonition on Tuesday, when he met with representatives of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
Ekohotblog had reported that the unions had embarked on a nationwide protest against the bill.
The bill seeks to move the national minimum wage from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent list.
The bill, which was sponsored by Garba Datti, Kaduna lawmaker, has passed first and second reading in the house of representatives.
The bill seeks to decentralise the payment of minimum wage to workers in the country — the move will give states power to fix minimum wage base on their resources and financial strength.
But speaking on Tuesday, Gbajabiamila said the public uproar the bill had generated could be addressed during the public hearing where all stakeholders would be available.
Gbajabiamila said the contributions and arguments advanced by members of the lower legislative chamber was in good faith and in the best interest of the people, adding that no member will sponsor a bill that’s detrimental to people.
“The fact is that I’m a labour-friendly speaker, and I represent a labour-friendly house. I want us to agree, first of all, that whatever was debated on the issue of minimum wage, the contributions by each member, were well intended,” he said.
“When we begin to castigate members like that, it doesn’t pay us. No member will come up with something that he knows will be against the people.
“I want to tell you that we will do what we ought to do. You know me, and you know some of our members. If this hurts the Nigerian people, we’ll do the right thing.
“In arresting a piece of legislation, because we are talking democracy here, you can do it through advocacy; you can do it at the public hearing.
“I had a bill, as the speaker of the house, that suffered the same fate — the infectious diseases bill. It went through a public hearing and now we have removed some things from the bill. We listened to Nigerians and now you won’t find some of those things anymore. I would have loved a situation where you made your case at the public hearing, or through advocacy in the media.”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
Minimum Wage: You Can’t Foist Federal Salary Structure On States – Fayemi
Ex-NLC VP Rejects Bill Seeking To Remove Minimum Wage From Exclusive List
Advertise or Publish a Story on EkoHot Blog:
Kindly contact us at [email protected]. Breaking stories should be sent to the above email and substantiated with pictorial evidence.
Citizen journalists will receive a token as data incentive.
Call or Whatsapp: 0803 561 7233, 0703 414 5611
