Members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Wednesday, March 10, held a nationwide protest, which was also taken to the National Assembly, over a bill that seeks to move the subject of minimum wage from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list. The import of the bill, if passed will be that the government at Federal and State levels will be free to negotiate and determine minimum wage rates for their respective workers. The Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Aliyu Sai Abdullahi and the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ado Doguwa, who addressed the protesters, assured them that the bill would not be passed. Some observers that have commented on the issue, have described the intent of the bill as being in line with the restructuring agenda for the country.
With several critical issues plaguing the country, including the increase in electricity tariffs, the efforts and impact of Nigeria’s trade unions as protectors of the people’s interests are being questioned. The labour unions come from a tradition of being advocates for citizens’ social and economic rights and often challenge government actions that interfere with these. It would appear that this frontline of labour is becoming a distant memory.