The Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage, on Monday, submitted report to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation following the conclusion of its assignment.

This was disclosed in statement signed by the Director of Information and Public Relations in office of the SGF, Segun Imohiosen.

He said the that a formal presentation of the Report will be made to President Bola Tinubu for appropriate action, when the leadership of the Organised Labour as well as representatives of Government and Organised Private Sector, who are presently in Geneva, Switzerland for the ongoing International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conference, return to the country.

The SGF thanked the Chairman of the Committee, Bukar Goni Aji and members for their commitment and sacrifices.

Tinubu had inaugurated a 37-Member Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage, on Tuesday 30th January 2024, in accordance with the provisions of the Minimum Wage Act, 2019.

The Committee was tasked with the responsibility of recommending a new national minimum wage for Nigerian workers in public and private sectors.

Monday’s submission came days after the committee recommended N62,000 as the new minimum wage and ends months of deliberations.

This followed a series of meetings between the Federal Government, organised labour, and organised private sector.

However, the organised labour is proposing ₦250,000, which is a shift from its earlier ₦494,000.

Following the submission of the report, President Bola Tinubu is expected to send an executive bill to the National Assembly for legislative action.

We Can’t Pay

Despite the deliberations, the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) said the earlier proposal of N60,000 is unsustainable.

According to the governors, many states won’t undertake other projects if the proposal goes through.

‘Starvation Wage’

Labour unions released their industrial action over the new minimum wage to allow for negotiations with the government.

But speaking on Monday, the Assistant General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Chris Onyeka insisted on ₦250,000 as the minimum wage.

“We have never considered accepting ₦62,000 or any other wage that we know is below what we know is able to take Nigerian workers home. We will not negotiate a starvation wage,” he said on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday.

“We have never contemplated ₦100,000 let alone of ₦62,000. We are still at ₦250,000, that is where we are, and that is what we considered enough concession to the government and the other social partners in this particular situation. We are not just driven by frivolities but the realities of the market place; realities of things we buy every day: bag of rice, yam, garri, and all of that.” (Channels TV)

• The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha meets with the NLC President, Joe Ajaero in Abuja

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