Finance Minister to present new minimum wage template

The Federal Government will today give figures to Labour to back up its minimum wage offer.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday ordered the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to calculate the costs.

The President issued the directive while meeting with members of the Federal Government’s negotiation team.

Following the President’s intervention, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) announced a one-week suspension of the strike.

The Tripartite Committee met to adopt an agenda mandating its members to continue an all-week-long negotiation as part of the pact.

The Senate promised to fast-track passage of a new Minimum Wage Bill when agreed upon.

Labour on Monday embarked on strike to register its displeasure over the outcome of last Thursday’s meeting by the wage committee.

The Federal Government and the private sector proposed N60,000, but labour demanded N494,000.

The strike led to the shutting down of the national grid and disruption of flights.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said President Tinubu asked Edun to provide the figures, which will guide the government’s negotiation with Labour.

At the meeting were Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume; Minister of Budget and Economic Planning Atiku Bagudu; Minister of State for Labour and Employment Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; and Group Managing Director of the NNPCL, Mele Kyari.

Idris said: “It’s been quite challenging, but we thank God that we’re at this point.

“We thank Labour that true to their words, they have suspended the strike.

“The President summoned a meeting of all those who negotiated on behalf of the Federal Government, led by the SGF.

“The President directed the Minister of Finance to do the numbers and get back to him between today (yesterday) and tomorrow (today) so that we can have some figures ready for negotiation with Labour.”

Idris stressed that the President was committed to a realistic and acceptable new minimum wage.

He said: “The government is not opposed to discussions or wage increase, but is desirous of ensuring that there is a balance.

“Therefore, we’ll work assiduously to ensure that whatever we do, whatever promises the government makes, will be kept. That’s the idea of this meeting.

“A wage award is not just that of the Federal Government. The sub-nationals are involved. The organised private sector is involved. Labour is involved.

“It was Labour that staged a walkout during those proceedings.

“Now that we’ve come back to the negotiating table, all of us will work together again, assiduously, within the next one week to ensure that we have a new wage for Nigeria that is acceptable, sustainable and also realistic for all Nigerians.”

The NLC and TUC decided to suspend the strike after an emergency National Executive Council meeting yesterday.

In a communique signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero and his TUC counterpart Festus Osifo, labour said it suspended the strike to create the right ambience for negotiation to continue unhindered.

The communique reads: “The NEC in session resolved that there is a greater need to create the right ambience for negotiation to continue unhindered.

“The indefinite nationwide strike action is, therefore, relaxed for one week from today (yesterday) to allow the Federal Government to commit to a concrete and acceptable National Minimum Wage; take definitive steps to reverse the electricity tariff hike back to N66/kWh and abolish the discriminatory classification of electricity consumers into bands.

“The NLC and TUC national leadership are mandated to continue to maintain open channels of communication with the Federal Government to negotiate and secure favourable outcomes for Nigerian workers and people.

“All affiliate unions and state councils are, therefore, directed to relax the indefinite nationwide strike and return to their respective workplaces immediately.

“The NEC-in-Session expresses profound gratitude to Nigerian workers and the general public for their unwavering support and solidarity in this critical struggle for improved living and working conditions.

“The NLC and TUC remain committed to pursuing all necessary actions to protect the rights and welfare of all Nigerian people and workers as we urge all to await further directives while the negotiation continues.”

Osifo said Labour was not fixated on N494,000.

Speaking on Channels last night, he said: “At the tripartite meeting last Friday, they told us they could not do more than N60,000. All pleas and reasoning fell on deaf ears.

“When that happened, we had no choice but to call the strike. On Monday, we met with the SGF where they committed to do more than N60,000.

“The government knows very well that we are not fixated on the N494,000 we proposed.

“We also know that not all stakeholders, I mean employers of labour, can afford that sum.

Read Also: Why we suspended nationwide strike for one week, by Labour
“What should determine where we will end is the principles. We want the government to apply common principles to her proposal.

“When you’re going for negotiations, you go with your best-case scenario.

“So, we have gone with our best case; it is now left for the government to come up with theirs.

“But what we will use for the national minimum wage borders on the principle of the value of whatever is being offered and we have a system of calculating it.

“Whatever the Federal Government will be offering us must not be less than the worth value of the minimum wage of 2011 and 2019 can take.”

We will consider capacity of states, OPS to pay

Senate President Godswill Akpabio said the lawmakers would speed up the legislative process on the new wage law when it comes.

He spoke during plenary following a motion calling on the NLC and TUC to suspend the strike.

It was sponsored by Senator Diket Plang (PDP – Plateau Central), who chairs the Senate Committee on Labour and Employment.

During the debate, information got to the chamber that the strike had been suspended, and the motion was stepped down.

Akpabio said: “Taking it (motion) will mean that we are jumping the gun and we are trying to settle the issues for them.

“There are many variables that they will look at – the capacity of states, local governments and the private sector to pay.

“The last minimum wage which was fixed at N30,000.00 by this parliament, but how many states were able to pay?

“How many local governments were able to pay? How many employers were able to pay?

“We’ll be looking at those things holistically. We should not rest until we arrive at an amicable resolution of the issue.

“I want to thank Labour for listening to the voice of Nigerians and the international community by calling off the strike to enable negotiations to continue and we wish them well in the negotiations.

“We will continue to do our best by making contributions and at the same time awaiting the incoming Bill on Minimum Wage for us to enact for the benefit of all Nigerians.”

(Credit: The Nation)