Minimum wage: Deadline looms as states yet to conclude negotiation

The nation is likely to fall another into labour dispute as few state governments have met the deadline of December 31, 2019 given by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for the conclusion of negotiations and the implementation of the new national minimum wage.

Daily Trust findings revealed that only five states have commenced payment of the new minimum wage. These are

Kaduna, Lagos, Adamawa, Kebbi and Jigawa states. Fourteen others have constituted negotiating committees while 17 states are yet to constitute their negotiating committees.

The committee are expected to negotiate and agree with their respective state labour councils on the consequential adjustment of the minimum wage. The new minimum wage bill was signed into law on April 18 2019 by President Muhammadu Buhari, but only few workers across the country have started enjoying its implementation

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, NLC General Secretary Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, and the Chairman Joint National Public Service Negotiating Committee (Trade Union side) Abdulrafiu Adeniji, had on 11 December 2019, issued three categories of scenarios on the implementation of the new minimum wage and consequential adjustment which all the states fell in.

In an interview with Daily Trust, the

Chairman of the FCT chapter, Comrade Abubakar Alhassan Yakubu reiterated that the national leadership of the council had unanimously agreed with the state chairpersons that industrial harmony could not be guaranteed in any state which failed to conclude negotiations before December 31, 2019.

Explaining further, he said, the FCT is unique in the arrangement because it is a ministry and decisions that were taken at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) are binding on the ministry.