Labour War Looms! NLC Fights Back Against Plot To Remove Minimum Wage From Federal Grip

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has strongly warned the National Assembly against any move to remove labour matters — including the minimum wage — from the Exclusive Legislative List and transfer them to the Concurrent List.

Speaking on Friday during the National Administrative Council meeting of the Central Working Committee in Abeokuta, Ogun State, NLC President Joe Ajaero described the reported attempt as futile and pledged that Nigerian workers would vehemently oppose it.

Ajaero declared that any such legislative alteration would face serious resistance across the country.

“If they try to sneak labour issues into the concurrent list, we will mobilise nationwide protests — even up to election day,” he warned.

He argued that both labour and minimum wage matters are globally treated as national concerns and are protected by International Labour Organisation (ILO) conventions.

“Unless lawmakers are also willing to let their individual states determine their salaries, they should abandon this fruitless exercise,” Ajaero stated.

While addressing the press after the meeting, he reaffirmed labour’s rejection of efforts to decentralise the Minimum Wage Act.
He pointed out that Nigeria already has a ₦70,000 national minimum wage law in place, and that states are free to pay above that benchmark — which many currently do.

“Globally, minimum wage is a protective floor for workers. Letting each state set its own wage could undermine worker welfare and destabilise the country’s labour system,” he warned.

Ajaero also raised concerns over an alleged plan to shift labour dispute resolution to state industrial courts, saying such a move contradicts ILO principles and could lead to uneven justice outcomes nationwide.

He stressed that decentralising labour rights and wage regulation would lead to inequality, especially in financially weaker or politically unstable states, leaving many workers vulnerable.

On the subject of local government autonomy, Ajaero called for the Supreme Court to provide a clearer interpretation and full enforcement of recent rulings to ensure the independence of Nigeria’s third tier of government.