By Bola adeyemi, In Lagos
The Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Mr Solomon Adelegan, has said that the current demand for a new minimum wage had gone beyond negotiation stage.
Adelagan told workers who had trooped out for the Lagos protest on Wednesday that labour will not renege until the report of the new minimum wage is transmitted to the National Assembly for implementation.
He said that the essence of the protest, which nearly grounded transportation in many parts Lagos, was not political but rather to hand over a letter to Gov. Akinwunmi Ambode, to further communicate with the Governors’ Forum on the agreed minimum wage.
Adding his voice, Mr Abiodun Aremu, General Secretary of the Joint Action Front (JAF), said that the N30,000 minimum wage was not negotiable, adding that the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), would support the organised labour till the new minimum wage is implemented.
However, when Mr Benjamin Adeyinka, a Special Adviser to Gov. Ambode told the protesting workers that the governor was not available, they shouted and insisted that the gate should be opened.
Adeyinka was not allowed to make further speech, as the protesting workers insisted that they did not want to hear from him.
Some of the placards carried by the workers read: “N30,000 minimum wage, not negotiable”; “place politicians and workers on the same living wage salary structure”, among others.
