The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Thursday dismissed as misleading,
speculations that talks between it and the Federal Government on new
national minimum wage had collapsed.
Ayuba Wabba, president of the NLC, said in an interview with the News
Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, that the talks had not even started.
According to him, the government is foot-dragging on the issue.
He said the tripartite structure that should consider the modalities for
the implementation had not been inaugurated.
“Uptil now, government is still dragging its feet on talks about the
minimum wage; the tripartite structure has not been put in place,” he
said.
“The point we are making is that we have only agreed on the structure, but
the structure has not been formed.
“We have agreed on the membership and the structure of the negotiating
team which is going to be tripartite, so this is the point that we are
now.
“But at the last meeting of the tripartite team which was held a day after
the Sallah break, it was agreed that at the next meeting, all these issues
will be sorted out.
“What happened was that government could not form a quorum at the last
meeting of the palliative,” Mr. Wabba added.
According to him, apart from the Minister of Labour and the Secretary to
the Government of the Federation that were at the meeting, key ministries
were absent.
“Legitimately, we have a demand that is still pending with them including
that of minimum wage and the palliative; therefore at the next meeting, I
am certain that we will give government notice.”
Asked if the government was reluctant in setting up a team for the
implementation of the minimum wage, Mr. Wabba said he would not speak for
the government.
“Well, I can’t speak on the side of the government, but we are committed
in making our demand, it is left for them to tell Nigerians whether they
are committed to it or not,” he said.
According to the NLC president, the union would pursue the issue of the
minimum wage to its logical conclusion.
The composition of the tripartite committee was announced on May 26, by
the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.
The Wabba faction of the NLC had put forward a demand of N56, 000 as a
realistic minimum wage, while that of Joe Ajaero is asking for N90, 000 as
minimum wage.
NAN reports that the government on its part has proposed N45, 000 as the
new minimum wage.
The joint committee is meant to iron out the differences in the various
submissions.
(NAN)