The Nation Newspaper

Tag: National Minimum Wage

  • NLC advises FG’s committee on minimum wage

    NLC advises FG’s committee on minimum wage

    The Nigeria Labour Congress ( NLC ) has called on the Tripartite Committee for the new National Minimum Wage to consider the plight of workers and pensioners during its deliberations and initiate decisions that will improve the lives of the generality of Nigerians.

    Mr Ayuba Wabba, NLC President, made the call in an interview on Friday in Abuja.

    President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, appointed a 30-member Tripartite Committee for the negotiation of the New National Minimum Wage for workers in the country.

    The committee has its members across both federal, state and the private sector and would be inaugurated on Nov. 27.

    While commending the President for the appointment of the committee, Wabba said it was timely and long overdue.

    “We hope that after the inauguration, the committee can commence work immediately so that we can cover some mileage and also cover the times that have been lost.

    “This is something that workers have long anticipated and our expectation is that we want a speedy process and that the fact that the issues are very obvious.

    “If you look at the exchange rate, the N18,000 Minimum Wage of 2011 when we signed the agreement, it was almost equivalent to N110 dollars; today, the N18,000 is less than 46 dollars.

    “So, this is the reality and with the purchasing power of ordinary Nigerian worker, with the high cost of transaction, our expectation is that the committee should look at the conditions of the Nigeria workers and pensioners.’’

    He, however, expressed dismay that there were places where pensioners were still receiving less than N4000 and that this called for an urgent consideration.

    The NLC president said that the consideration was imperative to address the issue of social imbalance, inequality and the wide gap of poverty in the country.

    “As you are aware, there is lack of employment in the country, therefore, workers have a lot of burden like taking care of their children and other dependents.

    “So, there is no worker today that does not cater for dependents.

    “Therefore, our expectation is that the process must be driven with all commitment and above all, they should take into consideration, the condition of workers and pensioners,” he added.

    NAN

  • Minimum Wage: NLC confirms submission of nominees for committee

    Minimum Wage: NLC confirms submission of nominees for committee

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) says it has submitted the names of its nominees for the 29 man-committee for the negotiation of the new National Minimum Wage.

    NLC President Ayuba Wabba disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Abuja.

    It would be recalled that the Federal Executive Council had on May 25 approved the constitution of the National Minimum Wage Committee to kick-start the process of negotiations for new wage for workers.

    According to Ayuba Wabba, “Well the point we are now is that last week we received a letter that organised labour should actually forward the names of their nominees and you know we have eight and that we have done and dispatched.

    “And what we expect now is the formal inauguration of the committee and the unveiling of the Chairperson and then the process should start in earnest with a timeline.

    “That is what we expect but I think we have fulfilled all righteousness by making sure that we are able to submit our team.”

    Wabba said that organised labour was aware of the situation of the workers and pensioners in the country, adding that labour would ensure that workers earn a living wage and pensions.

    Wabba, however, called on all strata of government, including the private sector to be proactive in order for organised labour and workers not to be pushed to the wall.

    “That is the position we are, but I think the fact of the matter is well known due to the issue of inflation and the high cost of living.

    “This is obvious and it is also about respecting our laws and tradition. If it is said that within a circle of five years, the law must be reviewed, certainly we must find a way of doing it right.

    “I think the bottom line is, none of the parties have said that those facts we have laid are not logical and nobody has said that the minimum wage will not be reviewed,’’ Wabba said.

  • NLC accuses FG of evading talk on minimum wage

    NLC accuses FG of evading talk on minimum wage

    The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Thursday dismissed as misleading, speculations that talks between it and the Federal Government on new national minimum wage had collapsed.

    Comrade Ayuba Wabba, President of the NLC said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, that the talks had not even started.

    According to him, the government is foot dragging on the issue.

    He said that the tripartite structure that should consider the modalities for the implementation had not been inaugurated.

    “Uptil now, government is still dragging its feet on talks about the minimum wage; the tripartite structure has not been put in place.”

    He said that the speculation that talk on minimum wage had collapsed was misleading, adding that the talk had not even started.

    “The point we are making is that we have only agreed on the structure, but the structure has not been formed.

    “We have agreed on the membership and the structure of the negotiating team which is going to be tripartite, so this is the point that we are now.

    “But at the last meeting of the tripartite team which was held a day after the Sallah break, it was agreed that at the next meeting, all these issues will be sorted out.

    “What happened was that government could not form a quorum at the last meeting of the palliative,” Wabba added.

    According to him, apart from the Minister of Labour and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation that were at the meeting key ministries were absent.

    “Legitimately, we have a demand that is still pending with them including that of minimum wage and the palliative; therefore at the next meeting, I am certain that we will give government notice.”

    Asked if the government was reluctant in setting up a team for the implementation of the minimum wage, Wabba said he would not speak for the government.

    “Well, I can`t speak on the side of the government, but we are committed in making our demand, it is left for them to tell Nigerians whether they are committed to it or not,” he said.

    According to the NLC president, the union would pursue the issue of the minimum wage to its logical conclusion.

    NAN reports that the composition of the tripartite committee was announced on May 26, by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal.

    The Wabba faction of the NLC had put forward a demand of “N56, 000 as a realistic minimum wage,” while that of Joe Ajaero is asking for N90, 000 as minimum wage.

    NAN reports that the government on its part has proposed N45, 000 as the new minimum wage.

    The joint committee is meant to iron out the differences in the various submissions.

     

  • Reps move to compel foreign companies to pay minimum wage

    Reps move to compel foreign companies to pay minimum wage

    The House of Representatives yesterday passed through second reading a  bill seeking to compel companies with foreign interests in the country to  pay National Minimum Wage.

    The bill is titled: “An act to amend the National Minimum Wage Act 2004″,  seeks to exclude the establishments that have foreign participation from  the list of establishments exempted from the payment of National Minimum  Wage and for other related matters.”

    The bill sponsored by Hon. Peter Akpatason (APC-Edo), also seeks to put  companies which employ minimum of 20 workers on the list of establishments  that will be paying national minimum wage as stipulated in subsection 1a of the piece of legislation.

    According to him, companies that make profits worth billions of naira in  Nigeria do not have up to 50 workers,  but do not pay the N18,000 national minimum wage.

    Akpatason noted that to have excluded foreign owned companies from the payment of minimum wage was no only a great disservice to the nation, but has robbed the country huge revenue.

    He said there is need to delete subsection 1e which provides that “person  working in ships and airplanes were excluded in the principal Act, to effectively address the lacuna,

    Similarly, he noted there is also the need to delete section 4 of the  principal Act which granted “permit for exemption for worker affected by  infirmity or physical injury as it is discriminatory against the disabled.

    Akpatason argued for the amendment of Section 6(3) of the principal Act, that grants the Attorney-General of the Federation discretionary powers to determine who or not to prosecute for contraventions of the minimum wage law.

    He said the interpretation of the foreign companies in the last amendment to the existing Act, included those that have up to 50% equity participation by foreigners.

    He further said: “in addition to broadening the scope of participation to incorporate more categories of Nigerian workers eligible to benefit from minimum wage payment, these proposed amendments also represent a clear demonstration of this 8th Assembly to timeously address issue of obsolete laws in support of the change agenda of this government.”

    The bill was referred to the House Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity for further legislative inputs after it was passed by the House.