Featured, Politics
By Anthony Isibor
THE document requesting for approval of N1 billion for the inauguration of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage has surfaced online.
The document, which was signed by Senator Georg Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, on the 18th of January revealed that the money was initially N1.8 billion.
According to the document, the committee is expected to be inaugurated on the 26th of January and will deliver the new minimum wage recommendation on 1st April, 2024.
Realnews, however, reports that a 37-man tripartite committee to be chaired by Bukar Goni-Aji, was inaugurated on Tuesday, January, 30, 2024.
Inaugurating the new committee, Vice President Kashim Shettima, reaffirmed the determination of President Bola Tinubu’s administration to improve the welfare of workers in the country and revealed that the President had directed the Minister of Finance as the Coordinating Minister of the Economy to allocate essential funds and logistics to the committee, to ensure timely completion of the assignment.
Shettima noted that given the comprehensive membership scope of the new national minimum wage committee, in includes that all stakeholders recognise the significance of the initiative.
“And to ensure substantial engagements, the President hereby directs that Ministers and Head of Service of the Federation should personally attend the meetings in their unavoidably absence, their Permanent Secretaries should represent them.
“Similarly, our executive governors are expected to attend in persons or be represented by their deputies where necessary.”
He noted that the objective of the committee should be to surface the basic social protection for all Nigerian workers considering the sustainable payment capacity of each tier of government and other employers or businesses, and expressed hope that the committee will employ the principle of full consultation with social partners and their direct participation considering the core provision of the International Labour Organisation Minimum Wage Fixing Convention number 131 and Minimum Wage Fixing Machinery Conversation number 26, both of which have been ratified by Nigeria.
Determined to address the economic difficulties faced by the Nigerian workers, the Nigerian Labour Unions have proposed a minimum wage of $300 (N436,500) ahead of negotiations on the new national minimum wage.
Benjamin Anthony, Chairman, Trade Union Side, made the proposal at the 2023 meetings of the Separate and Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council held in Goshen City, Nasarawa State.
The union argued that the current minimum wage of N30,000 has since been eroded by the high exchange rate coupled with the abrupt removal of fuel subsidy which has translated into the high cost of living in the country, hence the demand for a new wage.
Anthony, who was represented by the Secretary of the Union, Boma Mohammed, also frowned at the recent delays in the payment of salaries by the Federal Government to workers, saying the trend must be stopped and avert the repeat of such things as the suffering in the land, which is already unbearable.
He said, “In light of the above, Labour has proposed a Living Wage of $300 (N436,500) for Nigerian Workers. This is due to the fall in the value of our currency, today if you carry N100,000 to the market you will come back with a leather bag of items.
As Nigerians await the proposal of the committee, it is pertinent to note that nothing less than an upward review of the current minimum wage can ameliorate the present economic trauma that Nigerians are passing through due to the high inflation rate in the country.
A.
-February 09, 2024 @ 15:55 GMT|
Tags: Anthony Isibor Benjamin Anthony Boma Mohammed Senator Georg Akume
