Lagos State Chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress has kicked against the exclusion of the workers of the state-owned broadcast stations from the new minimum wage.
NLC stressed that the state government media workers are also entitled to be paid the new minimum wage as their counterparts in the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the state government.
Chairman of the Lagos chapter of the NLC, Funmi Sessi, stated this during a protest by the workers, on Monday in Lagos.
Members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists and those of Radio, Television and Theatre Arts Workers Union in Lagos State media organisations embarked on the protest.
Both NUJ and RATTAWU protested the non-payment of the new minimum wage as well as exclusion from the state’s Oracle payment system.
Both unions had vowed to halt operations of the media organisations – Lagos Television, Radio Lagos/Eko FM and Traffic Radio, from January 13, to drive home their demands.
“You are workers of the state government, your letter of employment reads so, and you are entitled to the new minimum wage by the law of the Federal Government of Nigeria. You should not be paid less,” Sessi said.
Lagos NLC chairman said that the protesting workers were discharging their duties to the best of their abilities, disseminating information about the activities of the state government and doing more.
“However, they are the ones not receiving the new minimum wage, which has been approved by the government.
“This is injustice to these workers,” she said.
Sessi appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to urgently intervene, describing him as a leader full of empathy.