Minimum wage: No Christmas if workers aren’t paid N35,000 – Oshiomhole to NLC, FG

Edo North Senator Adams Oshiomhole has said there is a need for both the public and private sector to pay workers the new minimum wage of N35,000 before Christmas.

Oshiomhole warned that there would be no Christmas celebrations if workers are not paid N35,000 minimum wage.

He spoke at the 8th Quadrennial Delegates Conference of the Non-Academics Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) in Abuja.

The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, and the Federal Government have been going back and forth over the need to improve workers’ wages in the country.

NLC had severally threatened nationwide strike in a bid to prevail on the Federal Government to increase the wages of workers.

Oshiomhole, speaking at the event, said: “Now that you have N35,000, there are workers from different states. Are all the state governments implementing it? The answer is no. Why should it be no, and why are they at peace? Your members are not at peace in the States.

“It should not be a selective application. The N35,000 must affect all workers. It has to go around all workers in Nigeria, whether public or private, that is the logic of nationwide strike.

“Please tell the NLC President that those are the issues that they must solve so that this December, nobody goes home without that N35,000.

“Whether such a worker is working for the federal, state, local government or the private sector, that N35,000 must be paid. If you don’t pay, there will be no Christmas for you as an employer whether public or private sector.”