New Minimum Wage: You Cannot Impose A Wage level On States – El-rufai Tells NLC

Governor Nasir El-rufai of Kaduna state has said the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC cannot impose wage level on state governors.

El-rufai said this in an interview on Channels Television’s Roadmap 2019 over the insistence of labour union on N30,000 minimum wage across all states.

On his position of new N30,000 minimum wage, El-rufai said: “The purpose of government is beyond paying salaries of a few; the purpose of government must be to invest in the future.

“Some of governors live large and give the impression that we have enough resources but we do not.

“Why are you raising the minimum wage when your sustainable revenues on a monthly basis cannot cover your salaries and overheads?

“You cannot impose on a state government a wage level that exceeds its sustainable revenues.

“There is a need to look at the minimum wage, but if you look at the minimum wage, you must also look at the capacity to pay.

Recently, President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated a Technical Advisory Committee on the implementation of the new National Minimum Wage and reiterated his commitment to its payment.

He also announced that workers who presently earn N30,000 would also have their salaries reviewed in accordance with the new minimum wage.

But, Ayuba Wabba, President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in response said they will oppose any move to tamper with legitimately earned salaries of workers in the guise of implementing the new minimum wage.