Minimum wage: FG schedules meeting with Labour for Tuesday

Minister of labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, (4th right) flanked on his right by the Minister of State, Festus Keyamo SAN, and General Secretary of NLC, Comr. Emmanuel Okechukwu Ugboaja, (3rd left) with the Permanent Secretary Federal Ministry of Labour, William Alo, immediate right in a group photograph

The Federal Government has scheduled what is called a high-level conclusive meeting, to wrap up all discussions and pave the way for an equable implementation of the Consequential Adjustment of the Minimum wage with Labour, for Tuesday next week.

Before the meeting, Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, said each group would hold separate meetings to sort out all outstanding disagreements.

The decision for the Tuesday meeting was arrived at after the minister met separately with the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria(TUC), as well as the members of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (Government side).

While the meeting with the Labour commenced by 11:30 am and ended at 2 pm, that with the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (Government side) was still on-going as at press time.

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The essence of the meeting, according to the minister, is to resolve the impasse over the consequential adjustment of the National Minimum Wage.

“It was resolved, however, that each group would hold further meetings to sort out all outstanding disagreements before a high-level conclusive meeting to wrap up all discussions, paving the way for an equable implementation of the Consequential Adjustment of the Minimum Wage scheduled for Tuesday, 15th October 2019.” The minister also said in a statement signed by the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Charles Akpan.

Those in attendance at the meeting were Minister of Finance, Budget and Planning, Hajia Zainab Ahmed, Minister of State, Finance, Budget and Planning, Clement Agba, Minister of State, Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo(SAN) Head of Service of the Federation, Dr. Folashade Yemi- Esan, Director General, Budget Office of the Federation, Ben Akabueze, Acting Chairman, National Salaries Income and Wages Commission Ekpo Nta and the Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris. Also in attendance were Deputy President NLC, Comrade Amaechi Asogwuni, the General Secretary of the NLC, Comrade Emmanuel Ugboaja, Comrade Achaver Simon as well as the Secretary-General of the Trade Union Congress(TUC), Comrade Musa Lawal Ozigi.

Daramola Oluwafunmilayo