Buhari set to increase minimum wage

President Muhammadu Buhari might
increase the minimum wage of Nigerian
workers as the Federal Government
delegation will meet with the leadership of
the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and
Trade Union Congress (TUC) over
deliberation on the issue
– The meeting which will initiate modalities
that will guide negotiations for the new
N56,000 minimum wage, proposed by the
Worker Union
– NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, confirming
the proposed talks scheduled for today,
described the renewed negotiation, as a step
in the right direction.
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari
might increase the minimum wage of
Nigerian workers as the Federal Government
delegation will meet with the leadership of
the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade
Union Congress (TUC) over deliberation on
the issue.
According to a report by Daily Times, the
meeting which will initiate modalities that will
guide negotiations for the new N56,000
minimum wage, proposed by the Worker
Union.
The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, confirming
the proposed talks scheduled for today,
described the renewed negotiation, as a step
in the right direction.
“We have submitted that demand. As I speak
with you, the negotiation committee has not
even taken off, but what I was informed two
days ago, is that the process has been
ongoing at different levels, because there are
various people driving the process.”
“Based on his submission, the Labour leaders
met on Monday, October 31st, to finalize
their position, preparatory to their meeting
with the government team today.
“They will then meet with the government
side tomorrow (Tuesday). They want to tidy
up the report, including the membership of
the team, that is supposed to negotiate the
minimum wage,” Wabba said.
While lamenting that the sitting of the
committee had dragged for too long, and that
a lot of time had been lost in the process;
further compounding the situation, Wabba
disclosed that, “Workers are on daily basis
being exposed (to high cost of living), and
the purchasing power is going down,
especially with the issue of the exchange
rate.”
He added: “They will be meeting tomorrow
(Tuesday), and they are also trying to round
off, because they said they wanted the report
to then go to the Presidency for formal
approval, because at the end of the day, the
President must be involved. I want to assure
you that we have not relented,” he said.
The present N18,000 minimum wage, was
signed into law, in March 2011, by former
President, Goodluck Jonathan, thus putting
an end to three years of prolonged
negotiations, protests, strike, and threats
between the government and the organised
Labour.