Uncertainty over minimum wage as committee submit reports

As uncertainty mount over the actual amount agreed by stakeholders for the national minimum wage, concerns have been raised whether September will still be feasible for the implementation.

Our correspondent reports that the Federal Government had promised that the new minimum wage would take effect from September 2018.

The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo had during the 2018 edition of May Day said the Federal Government would expedite action to ensure that a new minimum wage was ready by the second quarter of the year.

According to him, the argument for a national minimum wage cannot be faulted, because minimum wage is the minimum amount of compensation an employee must receive for putting in his or her labour.

Osinbajo stated that minimum wage should be anchored on the principles of social justice, equity, and fairness.

Mr Ayuba Wabba, NLC, President, while addressing the 107th Session of the International Labour Conference (ILC), in Geneva, said the ongoing process on the new wage must be concluded and implementation beginning in September as earlier agreed.

It was reported that the tripartite committee set up by the Federal Government was scheduled to submit its report between Sept. 4, and Sept. 5.

Mr Peter Ozo-Esan, General-Secretary, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) said the delay in holding the last meeting was caused by the Sallah break.

Ozo-Esan added that the tripartite committee involved with the review of the wage would conclude its work on Sept. 4th and 5th.

He noted that the government should be able to deliver with the initial expectation, adding that by September a new minimum wage should come on board.

Meanwhile, some civil servants in the FCT have called on the Federal Government not to renege in its agreement by honouring the September deadline it promised on May Day.

Mrs Janet Dauda, a federal civil servant said that her hope had been high since the vice president made the pronouncement and called on the government to work towards the date.

She said that it would go a long way to cushion the economic hardship most workers were currently experiencing.

Mr Abdullahi Ibrahim, also a civil servant urged the government to expedite action as soon as the tripartite committee on wage review submit its reports.

He said that most Nigerian workers were anxious to know their new earning, adding that this would go a long way in deciding the fate of President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-election in 2019.