The organised Labour in Nigeria have insisted that the implementation of the new minimum wage must commence by September as stipulated in the time line given to the committee on new wage.
Speaking on behalf of the Labour centres, President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba said all members of the tripartite committee are committed to the time line, which is August/September, 2018.
” I have told you that at the tripartite committee, we are all committed to a timetable and timeline which is known and everybody is aware of it. So Labour represented by NLC and TUC are committed to following that timetable and timeline.
“We made that very clear from the beginning after the inauguration of the committee because the first thing they did was to look at the scope of the work and the time it will take for us to deliver, to complete the tripartite negotiation and make sure that we are able to deliver a comprehensive report”.
While reacting to statement credited to Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige that the implementation cannot commence in September, Wabba said the organised labour are committed to the time line which is September.
“Given the process of give and take, with the commitment we have also received from the National Assembly, I don’t think that the centrality of the issue require any delay. So as Organised Labour, we are committed to the timeline that the committee has set for itself, which is September”
On what labour would do if there is a delay, the NLC president said the movement would consult with its organs with the view of taken an action.
He said workers are vigilant to ensure that the process did not exceed the stipulated time.
“We have many ways of responding to issues and as we progress in the process, we will consult our organs and constituents and will be able to push the process through any other means that is legitimately allowed by law.
“We remain eternally vigilant to ensure that the process is successfully concluded within the stipulated timeline by the government of the federal republic of Nigeria”.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige said the September dateline cannot be feasible, considering the work involves to be done.
He said the committee originally were to end the negotiation by September, but because after their work, the report would go to various stages before implementation can be implemented.
“The truth of the matter is that there is a work programme for the minimum wage committee. And by that schedule of work, we are supposed to terminate our own work in that committee first week of September.
“After you have done that, you will now take your recommendation to government. After doing that, the executive arm of government will take your recommendation to the Federal Executive Council because it concerns those in states, people in the state will now take it to National Economic Council, which is the council in charge of the economy of Nigeria.
“So these bodies will then look at the recommendation and then forward the final distillate to the National Assembly. It is the National Assembly that has power to make laws.
But we can forward to them as executive bills. That is what the constitution says. So, I do not see all these taking place in September. That was why I said the date of September for a worker to receive new minimum wage is not feasible”.
The minister also expressed optimism that if the process is fast track before the end of the year, the new wage would be implemented by 2019.
“That is not to say if everyone puts in their best and we put it on a fast track, we cannot consummate it before the end of the year. And when we consummate it before the end of the year, it has to be budgeted for. So, the money will go in either as supplementary budget or 2019 budget”.
