New minimum wage: Workers may wait longer as Ngige says there is no time limit

NIGERIAN workers who are anxiously expecting new minimum wage soon may have to wait for a longer time as the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, declared in Geneva, Switzerland that there is no time limit to when the process that would lead to the new wage would be concluded.

Ngige, who was addressing journalists at the ongoing 106th session of the International Labour Congress (ILC), holding at the United Nations Building, in Geneva, stated that though the processes have begun, while the minimum wage committee will be put in place in a fortnight, he cannot put a time limit to when negotiation will be concluded.

But in a swift reaction, the President of Nigeria Labour Congress, Comrade Ayuba Wabba declared that all including government, employers in private sector and labour must see to the fact that the process must have a timeline when it would end.

Wabba warned that “We should not allow those workers to die first before the fruit of their labour will manifest,” adding that the fears are real because the process has been prolonged.

The minister said that he cannot put a time limit because the issue of minimum wage involves a rigorous process and negotiation, adding that it also involves the employers, workers and the government who have all agreed that there is the need to review minimum wage in Nigeria.

Justifying his position, he pointed out that while the workers, represented by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have proposed N56,000, the employers represented by Nigeria Employers Consultative Council (NECA), have rejected the proposal and declared that they cannot pay N56,000 for now.

He, however, stated that actual discussion would only start when the committee is put in place in a fortnight, and that all the comments being made on the issue of minimum wage were informal.

When the minister was asked if there is time limit and when will the workers start enjoying the new minimum wage, he said: “We cannot put a time limit, it is a negotiation. A negotiation that is on-going but we are sure that all of us have seen the need that there must be a review. Some have taken their position.

“The workers have demanded for N56,000, the employers have said for now they cannot pay N56,000; but everything being said now are outside the orbit of the negotiations table. When the committee comes to force actual discussion will start and the committee will come in place in the next fortnight.”

However, the minister commended the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and the Labour delegation to the ILC for being fair to the Nigerian government in their report, and for not reporting the government of subjugation during his presentation to the session.

Ngige said: “Well the NLC president was also generous in his report, to report that we are already doing something in terms of tripartisim, collective bargaining and that is all that is needed on the issue of minimum wage.”