NLC provides update on new minimum wage

President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba,
has disclosed that there is stalemate in talks between the Federal
Government on the new minimum wage because of the figure to be agreed
upon.

Wabba said the National Minimum Wage Committee is yet to submit its
report to President Muhammadu Buhari because of that, adding that the
federal government had also failed to come up with a figure to be
agreed upon

Wabba said this in a interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, in his
office, in Abuja, yesterday.

He said that while the committee set up on the new minimum wage had
concluded its deliberation, the Minister of Labour, Senator Chris
Ngige, told the committee that the federal government needed to
consult before coming up with its own figure, a position he said
negates an earlier agreement to work within its timeline.

The minister told newsmen in Anambra that state governors were
frustrating the committee's work but Wabba said 21 states actually
made presentation to the committee with many quoting figures, while
some others said they would abide by whatever decision was arrived at.

He said organised labour has called a meeting of all its organs, with
a view to informing them of the development, pointing out that a
definite position will be announced after the meeting as the new
minimum wage is already two years behind schedule.

"If you recall, the new minimum wage committee was inaugurated in
November 2017 but started its assignment in March 2018, due to
logistics reasons.

"At its inaugural meeting, all parties produced a work plan which
spelt out the modus operandi and duration of the work of the
committee.

"By the work plan, we were supposed to end our work and submit our
report by August 21. Unfortunately, that date fell on a public holiday
and so, it was agreed that the September 4 and 5 be used to complete
the work of the committee.

"At that meeting, we were able to complete the entire report. But just
before we concluded, the minister of Labour said as representative of
the federal government, they needed to go and consult before arriving
at a figure.

"The federal government came and said they have not finished their
consultations and that they needed time to consult. But, it was all of
us who took the decision to have a work plan.

"Clearly speaking, they were not prepared to produce a figure by that
date. But our report has been completed. What is left is just to agree
on a particular figure. All the parameters to be used to arrive at a
figure are there.

"I can say clearly that states have sent in memorandum. In fact, 21
states sent in memorandum, with about 12 quoting figures, NECA has
submitted a figure, organised labour has submitted a figure. What we
thought was that we should be able to complete that assignment by
September," he said.