NLC said the governors calling for less than N60,000 as minimum wage "do not mean well".
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has criticised some governors proposing less than N60,000 as minimum wage for workers in their states.
Speaking on Arise News Television's Morning Show, on Monday, NLC's head of information, Benson Upah, said such governors "do not mean well" and are only making mischief.
"They are throwing spanners in the works. While the federal government has even moved up slightly to N62,000, they are saying they can't pay the N60, 000 that was initially proposed. It is an act of mischief," the NLC spokesperson said.
The organised labour, comprising the NLC, the Trade Union and their affiliates embarked on a nationwide strike on 3 June (Monday), in agitation for a new minimum wage. The agitation was a fallout of some economic policies of President Bola Tinubu administration which has led to high cost of living across the country.
The unions suspended the strike the following day (Tuesday) to give the government time to reach a decision on their demand.
The federal government on Friday increased the proposed national minimum wage from N60,000 to N62,000, while the organised labour lowered its demand from N494,000 to N250,000.
But earlier on Friday the Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF), a peer review body of 36 state governors, said that although a new minimum wage is due, the proposed N60,000 is not sustainable.
Another NLC official said on Channels Television on Monday that the organised labour would reconvene to decide on the resumption of the suspended strike if the federal government and National Assembly failed to meet its demand on the proposed minimum wage by midnight on Tuesday.
No valid reason for less than N60,000 minimum wage
Mr Upah said on Monday that only about five governors were still calling for less than N60,000 minimum wage. He did not name the five governors.
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But he maintained that the odds were against the five governors.
"The numbers are against them," Mr Upah said. "What they share has moved from N700 billion to N1.2 trillion and climbing. The states are very rich now. One thing they cannot get away with is that they won't get away with this one."
Mr Upah said the labour unions were not acting difficult but were being practical and reasonable in their demands for the minimum wage.
Labour unions' rage better than Nigerians'
The NLC official also cautioned the government against provoking the rage of Nigerians over the minimum wage matter.
"The rage of labour will be easier to manage than the rage of Nigerians," he said. "If they push Nigerians to a point that they have to live the life of a jungle, we would become victims; and I bet you, if it continues on this trajectory a time shall come and that time is not too far away now, (that time) that you will peep from your window three(3) to four(4) times before you step out of your own room."
He noted that "the issue lies in the government's assumption that is perfectly criminal that some people should live well and the majority should live hideously poor."
He said "such reasoning is unfair, undemocratic and goes against the grain of democracy and civilisation."
