Timothy Olawale, the Director-General of Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), has demanded the immediate implementation of the N30,000 new minimum wage.
Olawale’s demand came after President Muhammadu Buhari signed the N30,000 new National Minimum Wage Bill.
The NECA boss, who noted that N30,000 was the minimum wage, however, appealed to those employers already paying above N30,000 as their minimum wage to continue to do that, instead of reviewing it downward.
What the new minimum wage bill means
Following the presidential assent to the minimum wage bill, the bill officially become an Act of the National Assembly.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters, Senator Ita Enang, explained that the Act gives workers the right to sue an employer in an attempt to recover the balance or authorise the Minister of Labour to take action against such an employer in the event of a refusal to pay the stipulated wage.
Assent to the minimum wage bill, a response to NLC’s ultimatum
Earlier, the minimum wage bill was transmitted to the National Assembly on January 22nd. It had a recommendation of N27,000 as the new minimum wage. However, the National Assembly raised the figure to N30,000.
Read Also: Senate approves N30,000 minimum wage
Prior to the Presidential assent to the bill, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NSE), reportedly gave President Buhari until May 1st to sign the new minimum wage bill. The President of the NLC, Ayuba Wabba, disclosed this while addressing newsmen in Abuja last Saturday.
“THE EXPECTATION OF WORKERS IS THAT PRESIDENT SHOULD BE ABLE TO SIGN THE MINIMUM WAGE BILL, DOING ALL DUE DILIGENCE BEFORE 1ST OF MAY. THAT IS THE POSITION WE HAVE MADE VERY CLEARLY AND THAT IS OUR EXPECTATION.
“WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN TO WHERE WE ARE ON A PLATTER OF GOLD, WE WILL CONTINUE TO ENGAGE THE PROCESS. SO OUR EXPECTATION IS THAT YES, WORKERS DAY, WE DEMAND THAT THIS THING WILL ALSO BE DELIVERED AND THEREFORE WE ARE WORKING HARD AND HOPING THAT THAT WILL BE DONE.”
About NECA
NECA is the umbrella organisation of employers in the Organised Private Sector of Nigeria. It was formed in 1957 to provide the forum for the government to consult with private sector employers on socio-economic and labour policy issues.