The new minimum wage of N30;000 recently approved by President Muhammadu Buhari has a five year life span after which it will be up for review.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige who broke the cheery news to workers in Abuja Wednesday in his message to mark the 2019 Workers’ Day celebration said the new law has granted Nigerian workers a new Minimum Wage and a legislated period of review.
The theme of the Workers Day is ‘’Another 100 Years of Struggle for Jobs, Dignity and Social Justice in Nigeria’’.
Ngige, represented by Prof. Stephen Ocheni, Minister of State in the Ministry, said though the journey to a new minimum wage was long and tortuous, it was worth the trouble, effort, and sacrifice by all, especially the workers.
“The new National Minimum Wage Act provides for the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage (TCNMW) which is now a standing Committee.
“It has expanded composition of membership and empowered to recommend new National Minimum Wage for the nation after every five years and comes to life six months before the end of the five years.
“So, the new law provides an opportunity for workers representatives to directly approach the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) on matters concerning non-compliance with the provisions of the new Act on National Minimum Wage.
“While the Trade Unions’ roles are now more prominent as they have powers to report infractions on behalf of their members and they can approach the NICN on behalf of their members,‘’ he said.
Ngige also said that the new law comes into effect from April 18, and hence all entities, States and Local Governments, including Private Sector employers are to start paying immediately.
He added that “we expect immediate discussions with the different Joint Negotiating Councils for consequent adjustments “upstairs” as a result of the movement from N18,000 to N30,000.
Also in a separate statement signed by Mr Nwachukwu Obidiwe, Special Assistant Media to Ngige explained why the minister was absent at the Worker’s Day celebration.
“I wish to state for the avoidance of doubt that the minister was absent at today’s Worker’s Day rally for reasons of ill health.
“The Minister has been down with flu since last Sunday. He met his doctors last Monday and has since been at home recuperating,‘’ he said.
Meanwhile as workers celebrate May day on Wednesday they commended the federal government on the new minimum wage and called for immediate implementation.
Some of them who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja said that they have mixed feeling on the implementation of the new minimum wage.
Mr Ibrahim Khaleel, President, National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), said that workers were excited about the new minimum wage but still fearful about the disposition of state governors on its implementation.
Khaleel said that workers saw the new minimum wage as an increase in their purchasing power which would address some of their challenges.
He, however, said the negative disposition of some governors from the outset of the struggle brought about the uncertainty of compliance which is a major concern to workers.
“We have thirty six state governors who by implication manage the affairs of seven hundred and seventy four local governments including development centers in some states.
“We know some governors will be ready to implement the new minimum wage, we are worried about those governors that their disposition from the outset of this struggle has been negative.”
Mr Isa Aremu, member of the National Executive Council of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) said that it is high time the governors set good example by implementing the new minimum wage.
Aremu said the new wage was not restricted to the public sector but to the private sector as well and that every governor was expected to respect the rule of law.
“We cannot renegotiate what has been passed into law. We only await implementation and this is the 5th national minimum wage increment.
“There are sanctions such as fine and imprisonment for whoever will not comply and the NLC will push for prosecution of whoever will default,” he said.
However, Mr Innocent Ajiji, the President General of Nigeria Union of Railway Workers (NUR), said that the government should start paying the new minimum wage with immediate effect.
He said that the implementation of the new minimum wage would make workers happy as the federal government had promised.
“My expectation is that government would start paying thirty thousand naira with immediate effect as they promised to make all the workers happy.”
Mr Akpausoh Akpausoh, the General Secretary of Radio Television Theater Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU), commended the federal government on its approval of the N30,000 minimum wage.
He tasked the state governors on the implementation to lighten the mood of workers.
According to him, the fight for media salary structure is still on and will be the next level of action.
“Of course, RATTAWU is the union that champions the media salary structure and as soon as this minimum wage settles, we are going to move in place.”
