Minimum Wage: Labour convenes emergency meeting over FG’s decision, Govs meet Wednesday
Members of the organised labour comprising both the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, have convened an emergency meeting over the decision of the Federal Executive Council to step down the memo on the minimum wage.
The meeting, according to a top official at the NLC headquarters, will be held at Labour House at 10am on Wednesday.
The official said it is meant for discussion on the decision of FEC to step down the memo on minimum wage.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said all 39 items on the agenda of the meeting were taken except the memo on the minimum wage.
Idris had disclosed that there was a report by the tripartite committee which comprises of local government, States, NLC/ TUC and the federal government, adding that the committee submitted its report, and there was a memo to that effect.
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The minister, however, said Council could not take a decision on it because it involves local governments, states, FG, Organized Private Sector and Labour unions.
He, therefore, said the memo on the new minimum wage was stepped down so that President Bola Tinubu could consult widely before a final submission is made to the National Assembly.
Meanwhile, the NLC official, who spoke to Daily Trust Tuesday night said the entire leadership of the two labour centres would meet and take a unanimous position before the President takes consultation to them.
“Even though we had a position already, we will meet tomorrow morning, (Wednesday) to fine-tune our position before we’re consulted. It is important for us,” the top official said anonymously because he wasn’t authorised to speak to the media.
Meanwhile, governors of the 36 states of the federation also agreed to meet on Wednesday to resolve issues regarding the proposed new minimum wage.
Recall that the governors had rejected the N62,000 proposed by the federal government, explaining that some states would have to borrow to pay salaries if the amount is implemented.
However, the organised labour is still insisting on N250,000 wage.
The governors’ decision to hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday followed the stepping down of the memo on minimum wage by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Tuesday.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, had told newsmen after the FEC that the Council could not take a decision on the issue of minimum wage because it involves local government, states, federal government and organised private sector.
But the Acting Director on Media and Public Affair of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Halima Ahmed, told Daily Trust that governors would meet on Wednesday by 7pm in Abuja over the matter.
- Daily Trust