THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has commenced protests in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Lagos State over issues concerning the implementation of the new minimum wage.
On early Wednesday morning, the union members gathered in numbers at the Unity Fountain in Abuja where they marched to the National Assembly gate. 
Also in Ikeja, the capital of Lagos State, members of the labour union took to the streets, marching towards the Lagos State House of Assembly.
Ayuba Wabba, NLC president, had said last week that the union would stage a nationwide protest over a bill seeking to take the national minimum wage away from the exclusive list, allowing state governments to fix it for workers.
The ICIR had reported that Ayuba Wabba, NLC president, had noted there would be a protest by the union over a bill seeking to move the minimum wage from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list.
Wabba explained that if the National Assembly succeeded with the change, it would create an avenue for state governments to ‘enslave’ their workers.
“The NEC decided that should the need arise, it has empowered the National Administration Council of the NLC to declare and enforce a national strike action, especially if the legislators continue on the ruinous path of moving the National Minimum Wage from the Exclusive Legislative List to the Concurrent Legislative List,” Wabba said.
The NLC, in a tweet on its official Twitter handle @NLCHeadquarters recently, lambasted Garba Datti-Babawo, member of the House of Representatives representing Sabon Gari federal constituency of sponsoring the bill.
For over one year, the NLC, federal and state governments have battled over the approval and implementation of thenNational minimum wage from 18,500 naira to 30,000 naira.
While some states have adopted the new minimum wage, some others have refused to implement the change in wages.
Lukman Abolade is an Investigative reporter with The ICIR. Reach out to him via labolade@icirnigeria.org, on twitter @AboladeLAA and FB @Correction94