The Federal Government’s new minimum wage has suffered a major setback. This was confirmed by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige who had earlier announced when the new minimum wage will commence.
During the 40th anniversary of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Abuja, the minister had said that the minimum wage will commence before the end of September 2018, with claims that workers will experience a surge in their wages.
Ngige said the new wage structure will not commence anytime soon as earlier announced. He added that the setback was because State Governors are yet to submit their proposal on a new wage system.
The Minister maintained that without a proposal from the governors, there cannot be an agreement on a new wage structure.
The minister said,
“We have a timetable and we will finish everything about it this end of August, but it is not attainable anymore because even in the committee we have not all finished dotting all the i’s and agreeing on a figure.
“We couldn’t agree on a figure because of two reasons, partly the state governors have not come up with a figure and the state governors are a critical constituent of this discussion. They have six governors in the committee, one from each geo-political zone.
“So the Governors Forum has not come up with their figure. They say they are still working on it. That was the last submission they made to us and the federal government team. We are working through the Economic management team.”
President Muhammadu Buhari, had in 2017, inaugurated the National Wage Committee led by former minister and Head of Service, Ama Pepple in order to recommend the long-clamour for minimum wage.
The last time minimum wage was reviewed was in 2011. Then, the wage was set at a paltry ₦18,000. It took 10 years to have this benchmark reviewed through a collective bargaining mechanism by the Government and the Labour unions.
This is bad ordinary minimum wage is giving you problem and we are suffering n yet your people are receiving 36m in the senate househ God will judgejyou all.
I don’t know why good things in this country are hard to achieve but if it the Fulani herdsmen massacre its a finger tip approval.
Nigeria government is playing politics with the welfare of her work force. The Lord will judge all those in position of authority to make others suffered in Jesus name
If you people delay this minimum wage, be you governor or any one not just 2019 that will not be in your favour but all your commitments and future will be delayed take note you vision less administrators that the cry of works had been taking by God so be carful with the major segment of the society.
This is height of incentive to Nigerian workers.
The question is what is NLC saying in all these. Is the Union dead? Why is Nigeria so pathetically lost?
Please you people should do some thing fast about this issue .abeg