LABOUR Minimum wage c’ittee: Labour seeks speedy action, expresses high expectations

Labour has for long been calling for an upward review of the current minimum wage for workers across the federation.

The current minimum wage law came into effect in 2011 and it was designed for review every five years. By implication, a new minimum wage ought to have been signed into law in 2016 but that has not happened.

So, when President Muhammadu Buhari, on November 27, 2017 appointed a 30-member Tripartite Committee for the negotiation of the New National Minimum Wage for workers in the country, it opened a new vista of hopes for Nigerian workers of getting improved salaries sooner.

Shortly after the Tripartite Committee for the new National Minimum Wage was inaugurated, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) called on the committee to consider the plight of workers and pensioners during its deliberations and initiate decisions that will improve the lives of the generality of Nigerians.

The committee has its members across federal, state and the private sector and is expected to deliberate and arrive at an agreeable new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

Deputy President of Trade Union Congress (TUC) Comrade Augustine Etafo said that the new minimum wage is desirable at this point in time when the inflation is on the high side.

He posited that a new minimum wage will increase the purchasing power of workers and will help stimulate the economy.

NLC President Ayuba Wabba said the inauguration of the new minimum wage committee was long overdue, urging the committee to commence work immediately so as to cover the times that have been lost. “This is something that workers have long anticipated and our expectation is that we want a speedy process now that the fact of the issues are very obvious.”

Wabba said that the current minimum wage of N18,000 approved in 2011 has waned over the years in terms of its purchasing power.

He said: “If you look at the exchange rate, the N18,000 Minimum Wage of 2011 when we signed the agreement, it was almost equivalent to N110 dollars; today, the N18,000 is less than 46 dollars. So, this is the reality and with the purchasing power of ordinary Nigerian worker, with the high cost of transaction, our expectation is that the committee should look at the conditions of the Nigeria workers and pensioners.’’

The NLC president said that the consideration was imperative to address the issue of social imbalance, inequality and the wide gap of poverty in the country.

He assured Nigerian workers that the congress would discuss with open mind to ensure that workers` interest are protected at all time, saying “the meeting with the tripartite committee would be a social dialogue and collective bargaining discussion.”

General Secretary of Nigeria Labour Congress Dr Peter Ozo- Eson said that when the minimum wage is being considered a number of indices such as affordability from the point of view of government and from the private sector being able to pay.

Although the committee, since inauguration, was yet to begin sitting, stakeholders are optimistic that in 2018 the committee will come up with favorable decisions at the end of its assignment.

President Medical and Health Workers Union Mr Biobelemoye Joshua said the organised labour would not allow government to use the minimum wage issue to score political point.

“We are certain that if the government employs delay tactics for any reason labour will react,’’ he said.

President Buhari, himself, while inaugurating the committee at the Aso rock villa said that the new national minimum wage had become imperative as the current wage instrument had expired. He said that “minimum wage must be consensual and generally acceptable and should be anchored on social justice and equity.’’

President National Union of Chemical Footwear, Rubber, Leather and NonMetallic Products Employees Mr Goke Olatunji called on Federal Government to direct the state and private sector to ensure that the “agreed new minimum wage” is implemented by the state and the private sector. Both the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress have called on the committee to conclude everything concerning the new wage on or before the end of the third quarter of 2018.

It says the committee should expeditiously conclude its assignment since review of the wage has been due for over two years to enable the National Assembly give it an accelerated passage.

The labour had earlier submitted a proposal of N56,000 and N90,000 to the Federal Government as new minimum wage.

However, President Muhammadu Buhari did not give a time frame to the members during inauguration but expressed the hope that the outcome of the deliberation would be consensual and generally acceptable.

The committee is expected to complete its deliberations and submit its report and recommendations as soon as possible to enable other requisite machinery to be set in motion for implementation of a new National Minimum Wage.

President of Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE) comrade Solomon Adeniran Adelagan said that state governors presence in the committee will avail them the opportunities to “agree or disagree” on what will be proposed.

He said, “During the last negotiation for N18,000 wage, some of them said then they could pay N30,000 and even N40,000 but at the end of the day, they still complained. So this time around. We want to carry them along so they will not have any excuses when the new wage comes into effect.”