Renowned lawyer and human rights activist, Femi Falana, has expressed his belief that all states in Nigeria can pay the minimum wage.
He attributed this possibility to the funds generated from the removal of fuel subsidies.
Falana emphasized that any state or employer that fails to comply with the minimum wage requirement will face legal action.
Falana highlighted that with the removal of fuel subsidies, all states should be financially capable of meeting the minimum wage obligations.
He referred to President Tinubu’s earlier statement that the funds saved from the subsidy removal would be utilized for this purpose. Falana, along with labor unions, vowed to ensure strict adherence to the law and take legal action against non-compliant states and employers.
Falana stressed the importance of upholding workers’ rights and ensuring the payment of fair wages. He mentioned the possibility of seeking court orders to deduct the owed wages directly from the source in Abuja, if necessary.
These comments come in the context of the recent agreement reached between the federal government and organized labor regarding the new national minimum wage for workers.
Following negotiations, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) called off their indefinite strike.
While the NLC and TUC initially demanded N464,000 as the new minimum wage, the government proposed N60,000.
