The Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari is set to reconstitute a new committee to begin fresh negotiations for the full implementation of the new national minimum wage of N30,000.
YaahooJournalist reports that this was made known by Chris Ngige, Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Employment on Thursday in Abuja, the nation’s capital.
The Labour minister said this when the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) paid him a courtesy visit at his office.
According to him, “The President has put in place a new committee or council called ‘Presidential Committee On Salaries and Allowances,” he said.
Ngige warned that the delay in agreement for the full implementation of the new minimum wage may put the Federal and State governments in a difficult position to pay because of the backlog that would arise.
The minister explained that it was important for workers earning above N30,000 and on grade level seven to 17 to be patient, giving assurance that the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage implementation was being sorted out.
“It is important that we advise them (the stakeholders), because we are not yet back on that negotiation, that if they keep on piling debts, the Federal Government might run into problem of payment,” the minister said.
“The state governments that have not been regular with payments will have problems.”
Ngige promised to meet with President Buhari over the stalemated negotiation on the new wage, assuring the labour leaders that the central government was committed to the full
implementation of the minimum wage.
Present at the meeting were the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN), and the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba.
Meanwhile, the meeting came after the Labour Minister had earlier informed that the junior public service workers employed by the Federal Government have started receiving the N30,000 minimum wage.
YaahooJournalist reports that the claim by the Minister was corroborated by the National President of the Nigeria Civil Service Union (NCSU) and a member of the Joint Public Service Negotiating Council Lawrence Amaechi.
The minister stated that the only issue at stake was the executive cadre of Grades level 7 to 17, which required a consequential adjustment that was still being negotiated.
“Labour knows that inconsequential adjustment and even in collective bargaining, there are cardinal principles guiding CBA and part of the principles guiding CBA is the ability of employers to pay because there is no need for employer going to agree on something he cannot pay and tomorrow, you are back to the negotiating table. So, that is what is there,” the Labour Minister had said last weekend.
