Labour Has To Wait, As FEC Drops New Wage Bill for Further Consultations

The Organized Labour will have to wait more, as the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Tuesday, failed to discuss the report of the tripartite committee on the new National Minimum Wage.

Information Minister, Mohammed Idris, addressing the state house correspondents at the presidential villa, said the report was stepped down at the meeting, for wider consultations on the proposed new wage.

The minister, speaking after the meeting of the council, presided over by President Tinubu, said the new minimum wage was not a federal government affair, because it will also be paid by other stakeholders, such as the organized private sector and state governments.

Idris said the outcome of the further consultations, would be the basis of an executive bill that would be sent to the national assembly for confirmation.

Already, there is still no consensus among the organized private sector, organized labour, as well as, federal and state governments, on the proposed wage.

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While federal government and organized private sector opted for N62,000 monthly minimum wage, the state governments wants below N60,000, while labour is demanding N250,000.

However, the state governors argued that they would not sustain any minimum wage higher than N60,000.

The Assistant General Secretary of the NLC, Chris Onyeka, said Labour would not accept the latest offer of N62,000 and the N100,000 proposal made by some individuals and economists.

The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said the unionists were waiting on the President to consider Labour’s proposal.

But speaking at the opening of the 2024 Synod of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria in Abuja, the information minister emphasised the imperative of a realistic wage system that could safeguard against mass retrenchment while addressing workers’ needs.