TheNewsGuru

Tag: minimum wage

  • Mbah extends wage award payments till new minimum wage is ready

    Mbah extends wage award payments till new minimum wage is ready

    Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State has promised continuous payment of wage awards to state workers until committee on new minimum wage concludes its work.

    The governor made the pledge during the Town Hall meeting with Enugu people on Saturday at the Old Government House, Enugu.

    The governor began the payments of the wage award of between N10,000 and N25,000 to state workers last December to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal.

    The town hall meeting was attended by representatives of the Civil Society Organisations, women, students, youth, business owners, traders, transport unions and others.

    Mbah said his government would prioritise workers’ welfare, adding that he would create values that would help workers to thrive.

    “Until new minimum wage is concluded, we will continue to pay wage award,” he assured.

    The governor who added that his administration inherited arrears of pension and gratuity of retired civil servants, explained that he did not waste time in clearing them.

    “Today we are working seriously to clear that of primary school teachers and Local Government workers.

    On education, Mbah said his administration identified it as the strongest weapon to fight poverty, saying “this is why we are building SMART Schools across 260 wards which will be operational by September, 2025.

    “Our children will now be using tablets to study and teachers smart boards to teach while the student would learn about artificial intelligence, robotics and others that will make them technological inclined,” he said.

    The governor said that the government was building level two Primary Health Centres across the 260 wards to reduce infant and Maternal mortality in the state.

    Mbah said that it had already awarded 30 contracts for the health centers and about to award 100 more.

    On electricity, the governor disclosed that the state was working to generate and distribute electricity to provide power for homes and businesses in the state.

    “Electricity being the major infrastructural requirement for private sector to thrive, we took advantage when the Federal Government removed it from exclusive list to concurrent list by establishing Enugu State Electricity Commission.

    “There shall be no monopoly as people will be allowed to buy and sell electricity”

    Mbah also pledged to designed a programme to ensure students palliative and also sustain the state’s Scholarship Board.

    NAN

  • CARTOON OF THE DAY: War against miserable wage

    CARTOON OF THE DAY: War against miserable wage

    CARTOON OF THE DAY: War against miserable wage

  • North West NLC proposes N485,000 minimum wage

    North West NLC proposes N485,000 minimum wage

    The Nigeria Labour Congress in the Northwest zone has proposed N485,000 as new National Minimum Wage for workers in the country.

    The proposal was contained in a position paper presented on Thursday at North West Public hearing.

    The hearing was on the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage held at the Coronation Hall, Government House, Kano.

    The Kano State Chairman of the congress, Mr Kabir Inuwa, made the presentation on behalf of the North West leadership

    He said the proposal of N485,000 was necessary, considering the dynamics of the national economy.

    “It is imperative to propose a new minimum wage that reflects the cost of living and ensures a decent standard of living for workers.

    “The proposed new minimum wage per month should be determined through a comprehensive assessment of the current economic conditions, inflation rates, and basic needs of workers and their families.

    “The congress is of the opinion that for any minimum wage to achieve its purpose, it must reflect realities of the economic situation and accordingly assess the least income that would be sufficient for survival of a family of six,” Inuwa said.

    According to him, it is the estimated monthly expenditure per household (comprising father, mother and four children).

    The NLC boss noted that the minimum wage act had given all the protection required to ensure compliance.

    “This may be initiated by an individual or trade unions. The lack of awareness on the existing laws constitutes rampant contravention of the law, most especially by some state and local governments.

    “If the labour unions can initiate a mechanism to explore the provision of the law, it would record minimum defaults,” he said.

    He, therefore, stressed the need for the intervention of the Federal Government to ensure compliance through withholding all allocations to any state or public institutions that contravened the minimum wage law.

    “The removal of fuel subsidy and Forex policy came at a time when Nigeria’s minimum wage is matured for review.

    “The attendant effect of the current economic hardship propelled by hyperinflation renders workers vulnerable,” he said.

  • Labour unions present varying minimum wage proposals

    Labour unions present varying minimum wage proposals

    Various chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have made submissions on new minimum wage expected from the government for Nigerian workers.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the organised labour of NLC and TUC made the proposal during the zonal hearings organised by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage on Thursday.

    Different chapters of the NLC and TUC presented varying minimum wage proposals at the various zonal hearing held simultaneously across the country.

    Minimum Wage: Lagos NLC proposes N794,000, TUC N447,000 at S/W hearing

    The Lagos State Chairman of NLC, Mrs Funmi Sessi, on Thursday proposed N794,000 as minimum wage for the average Nigerian worker.

    She made the declaration during the South-West Zonal Public Hearing on the National Minimum Wage held in Lagos.

    The hearing, organised by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage, was one of the six held simultaneously across the six geo-political zones of the country.

    According to her, it is expedient to consider the current cost of living in Nigeria when determining the Wage.

    “The cost of essential services such as food, housing, transportation, healthcare, education has risen tremendously.

    “It has risen astronomically, making most of these services and goods out of the reach of the workers presently.

    “A quick analysis on the cost of living for a family of six include food: with the increase in cost of food items, each person will have to spend about N1,000 each on breakfast, lunch and dinner, “ she said.

    Sessi urged the Federal Government to live up to its responsibilities by bequeathing a decent, befitting and a living wage to its workers.

    She said that such would restore the pride and glory of the country, back to the comity of countries that pay a decent wage to its workforce.

    “By this, government will be able to retain its best brains and reduce attrition or “Japa Syndrome”, which has caused negative publicity for the country, “ she said.

    Also, the State Chairman, Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, Mr Gbenga Ekundayo, demanded a total of N447,000 per month as minimum wage for workers.

    Ekundayo said that this would give Nigerian workers a minimum level of comfort that would enable them to cope with the current economic hardship.

    According to him, the hardship in the country has turned many workers into beggars.

    “This minimum wage is required to narrow the widening gap of poverty among the employed and mitigate the erosion of living standards of Nigerian workers, “ he said

    Other dtakeholders said workers in the country deserved a living wage set at a level that was fair and commensurate with the economic realities.

    Speaking, the Director-General, Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies, Mr Issa Aremu, lauded the hearing, saying it turned out to be successful.

    Aremu also commended the level of mobilisation of NLC and TUC; employers association, manufacturers, as they discussed the need to have a good outcome from the negotiation.

    According to him, it shows that if organised labour, government and employers of labour come together, they get better results.

    “I am excited that the culture of social dialogue has come to stay, and that we should carry that spirit, so that very soon, we will resolve it without unnecessary strike and lock out on the part of the government.

    “My advice to the government as well as organised labour is that, let them replace unnecessary suspicion, mistrust, “diatribes” with dialogue, and when they do that, we can have the kind of result we have today, “ he said.

    In his remarks, the Vice President, Radio, Television, Theatre and Arts Workers’ Union of Nigeria, Mr Dare Durosimi, urged the stakeholders to further deliberate on the minimum wage outside the public hearing.

    “On the issue of what should be taken as the living wage for the workers, by the time the stakeholders harmonise it, we should see it before they make final pronouncement on it.

    “It is necessary so that we have a living wage compared to other countries of the world,” Durosimi said.

    Earlier, the Chairman of the South-West Public Hearing, Mr Wale Edun, said pensioners should also be included in the process of negotiation.

    Edun is the Minister of Finance/Coordinating Minister of Economy.

    “They should be part of the conversation and we can only appeal that in this whole process, those who have worked diligently and retired honourably should be looked after, taken into account.

    “They should not be left behind, forgotten; let us remember, in all these process, our pensioners, “ he said.

    While delivering his speech, he said the hearing, which was inclusive, underscored the committee’s commitment to transparency, fairness, and democratic ideals that govern the nation.

    South South NLC proposes N850,000 as minimum wage

    The South South Zonal chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has proposed N850,000 as new minimum wage for workers.

    Organised Labour equally advocated for impeachment or imprisonment of any governor, who may refuse to abide by the new minimum wage benchmark.

    The Chairperson of NLC in Akwa Ibom, Comrade Sunny James, indicated this while speaking on behalf of the Zone during the Zonal Public Hearings, organised by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage (TCNMW) on Thursday in Uyo.

    James also added that operational licenses of the private sector that may default in paying the new minimum wage should be withdrawn.

    “It is the collective request from the zone that the inflation-dependent model of wage adjustment be adopted.

    “This will automatically raise the minimum wage for the workers, whenever inflation rises and hence eradicate the struggle for a new wage every five years as obtained in the developed world.

    “Minimum wages should be paid to all workers in the employment of not less than five employees.

    “This act will bring inclusiveness to all Nigerians as exhibited in the composition of the Minimum Wage Negotiating Committee.

    “The Zone proposes a penalty for those contravening the minimum wage to include: the impeachment and imprisonment of erring Governors,  withdrawal of operational license to the defaulting private sector employers,” James said.

    The Secretary of Akwa Ibom State Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Kingsley Bassey, who spoke on behalf of the Zone pegged the new minimum wage at N450,000.

    Bassey urged government to implement the wage to ameliorate the plight and sufferings of the Nigerian workers.

    On his part, the TCNMW Chairman, Mr Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde, said that the committee was keenly interested in receiving well-researched position papers that will aid in making informed decisions.

    Oyerinde was represented by the Chairman of the National Association of Small, Medium Enterprise (NASME), Mr Nnoron Theophilus.

    He assured that the diverse opinions gathered from both private and public sectors would help to impact the livelihood of the citizens.

    In his remarks, Gov. Umo Eno promised to cooperate in the payment of the new minimum wage, when it is approved.

    Eno, who was represented by the Head of Service, Mr Effiong Essien, said that within one year in office, his administration had paid workers entitlements to the tune of N14.7 billion.

    South-East NLC, TUC propose N540,000, N447,000 as new minimum wage

    The South-East chapters of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), have proposed N540,000 and N447,000 respectively as new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

    The organised labour of NLC and TUC made the proposal during the South-East Zonal Hearing organised by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage on Thursday in Enugu.

    Speaking on behalf of the NLC in the Southeast, Comrade Fabian Nwigbo, the Chairman, NLC Enugu State Chapter, noted that the value of N30,000 minimum wage of 2019 had been eroded by inflation.

    According to him, if you consider what is going on in the country today, one won’t be talking about minimum wage anymore.

    Nwagbo described the situation as very “unfortunate” saying that if one compared the minimum wages being paid in West African countries, Nigeria workers were the least paid.

    “For us, we want to propose based on the prices of commodities in Nigeria. In 2019 when we had N30, 000 minimum wage, a paint bucket of garri was N280, rice and beans  were about N450 each while fuel was N145.

    “This has continued to subsist till today where a litre of fuel is now N750 to N800 depending on the location.

    “In the current state, a paint bucket of rice is over N4000 and garri N2,500.

    “While two bedroom flat in Enugu that used to be N250, 000-N300,000 is over N650,000 at the suburb and in the city it stands at N1.2 million yearly.

    “Everything is moving up except salary paid to civil servants.

    “We are praying the leadership of this country to consider the pains and sufferings of the Nigeria workers and citizens and give us something that is close to what we can use to survive,” he appealed.

    Giving a breakdown of the proposal, the chairman added that a family of six with daily feeding of N2000 each, would have N12,000 and in 30 days it would be N360,000.

    “We have also put hospital bills at N20,000, education N40,000, utility, N10,000, clothing N30,000, social engagement and other things at N10,000 per month.

    “If you put them together, you have N540,000 which will do a little good to the workers of Nigeria and so we are proposing N540,000 as new minimum wage for civil servants, he said.

    He called for review of minimum wage law every two years, saying that  the issue of five years was no longer fashionable as well as leaving as leaving minimum wage in exclusive list.

    The labour leader, however, called for impeachment of any governor that failed to implement new minimum as well as the extension of the wage to the pensioners whom he said put in their active lives in service.

    “Once it is approved, every governor and Council Chairman should start paying it across board. The issue of workers going to negotiate with their state governors should not arise,” he said.

    In his submission, Comrade Ben Asogwa, Chairman, TUC Enugu Chapter, said that the zone aligned with the N447,000 proposed by the TUC national leadership.

    “It is small to what Nigeria workers expect but we are concerned on its implementation if more is requested, given the economic factors and indices. Any governor that refuses to pay should leave office,” he said.

    Earlier, Mr Tommy Etim, Chairman of the event and Deputy National President one, TUC, said it was a mark of honour for them to have engaged in a sensitive assignment on National minimum wage.

    Etim however, expressed displeasure on the absence of representatives of the Civil Societies, Nigeria Union of Pensioners and others.

    None of the governors or their representatives from the zone attended the hearing including Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra who is the Chairman of the event and Member of the Tripartite Committee.

    NLC FCT proposes N709,000 minimum wage for workers

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) ,FCT chapter, has proposed N709,000 as new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

    The NLC FCT Chairman, Dr Stephen Knabayi, made the submission at the North Central Zonal Public Hearing organised by the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage on Thursday in Abuja.

    President Bola Tinubu, through  Vice-President Kashim Shettima, had on Jan. 30 inaugurated a 37-member panel on the new minimum wage in Abuja

    The committee scheduled March 7 for public hearing in all  the six geo-political zones in the country.

    In the North Central zone, no fewer than 15 organisations met and presented their submissions to the council.

    Knabayi, while making the submission, said the Congress took cognisance of the present economic conditions in the country in arriving at the figure.

    According to him, the sum proposed will help cushion the effects of the economic challenges and ameliorate the sufferings of Nigerians.

    “We have a common position. This position considers the current economic plight in the country.

    “We have the submission that N709,000 per month should be the minimum wage for the workers in the country.

    “We believe that Nigeria has what it takes, the leadership should commit themselves to getting this money paid and for us to have better treatment for the working people of Nigeria,” he said.

    The Trade Union Congress(TUC) ,FCT chapter ,making its submission at the public hearing , proposed N447,000 as the new minimum wage .

    Mr Amaege Chukwudi,who represented the  TUC chapter,  said: “This will give Nigerian workers a minimum level of comfort and enable them to cope with the current level of economic hardship, which has turned the majority of them to beggars.

    “So for us in the FCT, we expect the minimum wage to run across the three tiers of government “he said

    Chukwudi appealed for policy reform that would engender massive food supply in the country.

    He  urged the Federal Government to provide buses to ease movement of workers , fix refineries, and ensure stable electricity supply, among other recommendations.

    Speaking , Prof. Mohammad Mohammed, of the Medical and Dental Consultant Association of Nigeria, said  the minimum wage for workers should be N440,333.33.

    The professor also appealed that a consequential adjustment should be included in the approved minimum wage for workers.

    Representatives of the Forum of Retired Directors of Federal Civil Service proposed N70,000 minimum wage for workers at the hearing .

    They also appealed for a review of pension allowance as stipulated in Nigerian law.

    Meanwhile, the Federal Civil Service of Pensioners of Nigeria has demanded that 85 per cent of the minimum wage that would be approved should be assigned to them.

    The National Chairman of the Association, Sunday Omezi, said at the hearing  that the money would enable them to take care of themselves and their health challenges.

    The chairman, however, expressed displeasure that  pensioners were not included in the tripartite committee.

    Speaking ,Chairman of the Zonal Committee,Mr  Festus Osifo, said  the committee would make recommendations  for effective and full implementation of the new minimum wage , once approved and signed into law.

    “We will try to put in place very strong sanction and punitive measures to ensure that once passed into law, it is implemented across the states”,he said.

    The hearing was well attended by government representatives and stakeholders, both from the public and private sector.

    NLC President calls for market hearing on prices of food

    Joe Ajaero, President,  Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has called for “Market Hearing” on prices of food , to enable the minimum wage committee arrive at a reasonable minimum wage.

    Ajaero, who is chairing the ongoing North East Zonal Public Hearing on National Minimum Wage made the call in Yola on Thursday.

    He said, the market hearing should be conducted in all zones.

    According to him, without the market hearing the aim of the public hearing on minimum wage will be defeated.

    “We need to go to the markets and ask how much is a bag of rice, Garri and other food items , if we balance the two I think we will get somewhere,” he said.

    The president said that a lot of people were facing difficulties,  a worker had to pay at least N1000 for transport to go to work and there was need for government to do something.

    He said, “we are here to collate raw data, so that we  can process, get something better and meaningful that will be acceptable to everyone”.

    Gov. Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa, described the town hall meeting as timely going by the economic situation in the country.

    Fintiri, represented by his Deputy, Prof. Kaletapwa Farauta, said, “as government, the right thing to do is what we are doing, to get to our people and bring them help and succour”.

    Stakeholders were drawn from Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe States for the public hearing.

  • Reps to set up committee on new minimum wage

    Reps to set up committee on new minimum wage

    The House of Representatives has resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to ensure payment of a living wage to all workers in the country.

    The resolution was sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by 35 members, at plenary on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Presenting the motion, Rep. Aliyu Madaki (NNPP-Kano State) said that the rising rate of inflation in the country had made it difficult for an average Nigerian to afford basic needs, such as food, water, housing, education, healthcare, transportation and clothing.

    He said that the rising inflationary rate in the country also had negative effects on the cost of living, with the cost of food, accommodation, education and transportation skyrocketing.

    According to the lawmaker, Nigeria is a signatory to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

    He quoted Article 23 of the declaration as stating that every individual working had the right to just and favourable remuneration to ensure such a person and his/her family exist in dignity.

    Madaki said that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) had a 2030 achievement deadline, adding that eight out of the 17 SDGs required the payment of a living wage to be achieved.

    The lawmaker said that according to the World Bank report, low purchasing power in the country, occasioned by a high inflationary rate, has led to an increase in poverty across the country.

    Madaki recalled that the Speaker, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, had, at an event, said that only a living wage that could ameliorate the insecurity and corruption pervading the country, was required at this time.

    “Recall when the fuel subsidy was removed in May 2023, the Federal Government offered palliatives to cushion its effects.

    “However, the ameliorative effect of this measure has been overtaken by the continued rise in the cost of goods and services.

    “We are aware that wage award was granted by the president recently, but the purchasing power is low, owing to the continued rise in the cost of living in the country and the fall of the naira.

    “We are also aware that Trade Economics in 2018 reported the living wage for an individual Nigerian and a Nigerian family to be N43,200 per month and N137,600 per month, respectively. This was a pre-subsidy removal report.

    “Further note that presently, no labourer can live in Nigeria with a wage of less than N100,000.00,” he said.

    The lawmaker said that unless immediate and pragmatic steps were taken to improve the income of Nigerians, more citizens would go down the economic line, with the poor population increasing.

    According to him, this, in effect, will lead to desperation and loss of faith in the government.

    In his ruling, the Deputy Speaker, Rep. Benjamin Kalu, said that the outcome of the process would be sent to the Senate for concurrence.

  • Finance Minister to chair South-West public hearing on minimum wage

    Finance Minister to chair South-West public hearing on minimum wage

    Mr Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy will chair the South-West zone public hearing on the new national minimum wage on Thursday in Lagos.

    This is contained in a statement by Mrs Helen Oby, Head, Press and Public Relations Unit of the Ministry of Finance, on Monday in Abuja.

    She said Edun will lead five other members of the minimum wage team appointed by the federal government to the public hearing at LTV Blue Roof Arena, Ikeja, Lagos.

    “This session aims to gather insights and recommendations to inform a fair and sustainable minimum wage policy, reflecting the engagement and contributions from various stakeholders in the region.

    Gov. Adeleke Ademola of Osun will represent state governments interest during the hearing.

    Other members are, Omo-Lamai Grace, Manufacturers Association of Nigeria; Muhammed Nura, Nigeria Association of Small and Medium Enterprises; Adeyanju Adewale (NLC); Shuaibu Afusatu (TUC); and Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Onyejeocha Nkeiruka.

    Oby said that the aim was to aggregate the inputs of Nigerians to come up with a sustainable national minimum wage reflective of economic realities and aspirations of workers.

    According to her, stakeholders are expected to  contribute to shaping a policy that balances the well-being of workers with the economic health of the nation.

    Similar public hearings have been slated across other political zones.

    The hearings were scheduled to take place in the North-East (Yola), North-West (Kano), North-Central (Abuja), South-South (Uyo), and South-East (Enugu).

  • How new wage will alleviate our suffering – Workers

    How new wage will alleviate our suffering – Workers

    Some workers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed optimism that the new minimum wage will alleviate suffering and improve their living standards.

    Considering the economic realities, the Federal Government had commenced efforts to improve the minimum wage of workers in the country.

    To this end, the Federal Government had  inaugurated a 37-member tripartite committee to deliberate and come up with a wage structure that would cushion the effect of Nigeria’s current economic conditions.

    The Vice President Kashim Shettima, while inaugurating the committee, which membership cuts across federal, and state governments, the private sector and organised labour, urged the committee to speedily arrive at a resolution.

    Shettima similarly urged them to submit their reports early as the current N30,000 minimum wage would expire at the end of March 2024.

    Some of the workers who spoke to NAN on Sunday in Abuja, said that the current economic situation which had led to hardship on citizens, needed to be tackled speedily.

    They also urged the minimum wage committee inaugurated by the Federal Government to work speedily and in the interest of the suffering masses.

    Mrs Comfort Uzor, a Civil Servant, commended the government in its efforts towards redeeming the wage allowance it promised Nigerian workers.

    Uzor, however, appealed that the committee should take cognizance of the increasing rate of inflation in the country while deliberating on the wage.

    She said: “ the government has surprised us by paying the wage allowance till January, although, the redemption almost did not have much effect because of the high cost of goods in the market.

    Another civil servant, Jude Johnson emphasised the need for government to increase the salaries of workers to enable them give in their best on their jobs.

    “This past week, I went to work only three times because I did not have money to pay for transportation; and I have lots of colleagues who did not also go to work.

    “Life has not been easy for many of us these days; infact, some of our children have dropped out of school due to high cost of things. And the money is not even there.

    “I am seriously looking forward to this new minimum wage, and praying that the increment is reasonable enough to help augment certain things for us.”

    Another worker, Mrs Ekaite John, called on the government and key stakeholders to look into the high cost of goods in the market to proffer immediate solutions.

    John also appealed to the government to ensure investments and interventions that would reduce the cost of production for farmers, thus encouraging them to produce more.

    “Farmers need to be encouraged to go into the farms. They need incentives, they need assurance of security and all these are what the government needs to put in place.

    “Nowadays, farmers who are meant to stay back and cultivate have migrated to the cities in search of white-collar jobs.

    “We really need to increase our food production, so we can also be able to export to generate forex for the country. That is one major way to grow our economy,’’ John said.

    Meanwhile, a trader, Shehu Abdul, also expressed hope that the new minimum wage would take effect soon as the “no money in the economy syndrome” was affecting his business.

    “Our businesses are not smiling; they are not doing well anymore. I sell some perishable foods and you cannot imagine what high cost of transportation, and poor electricity is doing to my business.

    “Since the fuel subsidy removal, my business has been suffering. The cost of bringing the goods to the market have increased drastically, making us to increase prices of our products also.

    The committee on March 1, announced that it would hold a public hearing on March 7 in all the six geo-political zones in the country to deliberate on the minimum wage for workers.

    They urged the participation of the state and local governments, labour unions, employers of labour, civil society groups, small and medium enterprises and other stakeholders in the six geo-political zones.

  • NLC seeks annual review of minimum wage

    NLC seeks annual review of minimum wage

    Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on the Federal Government to consider annual review of national minimum wage because of the inflationary trend and the value of Naira.

    Mr Joe Ajaero, NLC President made the call in Abuja at the 2nd National Labour Adjudication and Arbitration Forum, organised by the National Employers Consultative Association (NECA).

    The theme of the forum is “Strengthening Tripartitism and Social Dialogue (including alternative Dispute Resolution Mechanisms) for a Sustainable Industrial Relations System in Nigeria.

    Ajaero said government should have a rethink on the five-year cycle of minimum wage because it was not favourable to the Nigerian workers.

    According to him, no matter the amount negotiated, it would have been eaten up by inflation before the end of the five year cycle.

    “There is a need to tinker with the law providing for five yearly renegotiation of national minimum wage to allow for yearly adjustment of wages based on the rate of inflation and value of the Naira.

    “This is important because people have been coming up to say that if we increase salaries, it will affect inflation.

    However, we cannot leave salary to be constant while other variables continue to grow,’’ he said.

    Ajaero said workers were displeased with the poor implementation of the N35,000 wage award by the federal government.

    The NLC president added that most federal government workers were yet to receive their January salary.

    He therefore called on the government to expedite the implementation of the 16 points agreement reached with organised labour to cushion the effects the fuel subsidy removal.

    Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, commended NECA for collaborating with the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) to organise the forum.

    She said the forum would foster dialogue among stakeholders and promote peaceful industrial relations.

    Sen. Dike Plang, Chairman, Senate Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity said event was apt and critical to the sustainable industrial relations in Nigeria.

    The lawmaker assured that the national assembly would ensure comprehensive review and amendment of existing labour laws to conform to international labour standards.

    He also commended President Bola Tinubu for constituting the tripartite committee on the review of minimum wage for workers.

    NAN

  • Pensioners demand inclusion in minimum wage committee

    Pensioners demand inclusion in minimum wage committee

    The  Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has urged  the Federal Government to include their members in the tripartite committee on the national minimum wage review..

    Mr Godwin Abumisi, National President of  NUP requested a news conference addressed by the union on Thursday in Abuja.

    Abumisi urged President Bola Tinubu to, as a matter of necessity and urgency, include the union in the committee.

    According to him, when the news of constituting the wage review committee was announced by the federal government, it was applauded by the NUP.

    “This was with the high hope that NUP will be represented in such a high-powered committee to offer their voice to the negotiation as well as make a case for their members.

    `We were anticipatory bearing in mind that pensioners are workers in retirement who go to the same market for their daily needs.

    “Moreso, we feel that the pensioners’ union should be carried along during negotiations on the matters that bother on their members.

    “Unfortunately and regrettably too, our hope of being represented in the committee was dashed as the name of NUP was visibly omitted from the membership list,’’ he said.

    He said they were using the forum to protest and register their displeasure with the constitution of the committee in a way that undermined the relevance of the union.

    Abumisi argued that although, NUP is a member of the organised labour family, hut its interest will not  be sufficiently catered for in the absence of its members

    “Previous experiences had shown that pensioners had always been left to their fare in the series of wage reviews and negotiations.

    “It is not until our local union (NUP) will have to struggle overtime to press for a corresponding upward review of pensions for their members.

    “This oversight, or do we call it maltreatment of the senior citizens, is a flagrant contravention and disobedience to the provisions of Sections 173(3) and 210(3) of the 1999 constitution.

    “The section unambiguously stipulates that pensions shall be reviewed every five years, or together with any federal/state salary reviews, whichever is earlier.

    “The above constitutional provision has always been violated as it is hardly observed or adhered to by the same authorities that signed it into law,’’ he said.

    The NUP president therefore urged that in the interest of peace and industrial harmony,  President Tinubu should appoint the leadership of the union to serve in the committee.

    He contended that any review of national minimum wage should always be done together with the review of the national minimum pension.

    According to him, workers and pensioners belong to the same civil service family with similar characteristics and needs.

  • FG to discuss new minimum Wage with Labour – Information Minister

    FG to discuss new minimum Wage with Labour – Information Minister

    The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, says the Federal Government will begin discussion of the new minimum wage with labour in March.

    Idris stated this during his remark at the 21st Daily Trust Dialogue and presentation of 2023 African Award of the year on Thursday in Abuja.

    The dialogue, with the theme “Tinubu’s Economic Reforms: Gainers and Losers”, was organised by the Media Trust Group.

    According to Idris, when the Fuel Subsidy was removed, President Bola Tinubu initially promised to pay N25,000 wage award to workers to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.

    “But labour was not comfortable. We entered into negotiation with the Labour and after long discussion with them and President Tinubu, we arrived and agreed at N35,000 which was accepted.

    “And the President said the N35,000 will be paid for six months to cushion the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy. That would be from September 2023 to February 2024.

    “So after the payment of wage award for six months; in March, the government and labour will come together again to deliberate on a new minimum wage for workers.

    “However, it is important for Nigerians to understand the intention of Tinubu to address the welfare and well-being of all Nigerians. I know it is not easy but Nigerians will be better for it.

    “I want to call on Nigerians to give President Tinubu the time to make things right for the country,” Idris stressed.