Politics
THE Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, said on Friday that the delay in constituting the National Minimum Wage negotiation Committee was to give all parties ample opportunity to consult widely before appointing their representatives. The minister also hinted that the tripartite discussion may not bring about increase in minimum wage, saying “a review does not mean an automatic increase’ in salary.”
Ngige, who spoke with journalists in his office, said the committee will be constituted before the end of July. He pointed out that the Nigeria Governors’ Forum has already forwarded the list of six governors to represent them in the committee.
The government said in May it has approved the constitution of a 29 -man committee to negotiate the new minimum wage for the country. The minister said government would ensure that the minimum wage committee was constituted to kick start the process of negotiation.
He said: “The secretariat of that minimum wage committee is domiciled in the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission. So by extension the Chairman of the NSIWC becomes the Secretary of that committee. We have written to the organs and subgroups for their nominations and the governors are the first to respond. They have nominated six governors one each from the geopolitical zones. The nominations are being transmitted to the Acting President for his approval.
“We have also written to NECA for them to consult with Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture, and the Small and Medium Scale Industries Employers’ Associations for their own nominations. We have also discussed with the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, for the nominations from the workers group in the last 48 hours. We want to ensure adequate consultations. So it is not true that government is not doing anything. We are hopeful that we will complete everything before the end of the month.” –The Nation
— Jul 17, 2017 @ 01:00 GMT
Tags: Chris Ngige industry Manufacturers’ Association of Nigeria Mines and Agriculture Minister of Labour and Employment NECA Senator Chris Ngige the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce Why Composition of Minimum Wage Committee is Delayed – Ngige
