‘Minimum Wage Won’t Be Ready By Sept.

The Minister of Labour and Employment Chris Ngige said yesterday that the new minimum wages expected to be approved by end of September would not materialise.

He clarified that the September date is just for conclusion of negotiation on the issue of the minimum wage.

Ngige, while speaking to Newsmen in his Abuja home, said the committee on the new minimum wage is expected to finalize its work by the end of September and its report will be thereafter presented for further examination.

According to him, the next step would be that he would get approval for an executive bill to presented to the Legislative.

He noted that the available of funds to pay the proposed salary would be paramount in the deliberations.

Ngige said the committee embarked on zonal public hearing across the country to get the input of those concerned, including state governments and the organised private sector

The minister pointed out that governors were also of the opinion that for the new minimum wage to become effective, the present revenue allocation formula would have to be reviewed in favour of the states and local governments.

He added in view of the inability of some states to pay the wages, some other states submitted that the minimum wage should be maintained at the present N18,000.

The Minister added that when the committee on minimum wages finalizes it report, the report would be submitted to the National Council of State and the Federal Executive Council for approval before a bill is sent to the National Assembly to legalise the committee’s work.

On the threat by non-teaching staff of universities to resume their suspended strike as a result of alleged government’s failure to honour the terms of their agreement, the minister claimed that the government was sourcing the N6 billion needed to pay them their earned allowances as contained in the agreement.

He said from his experience as Minister of Labour, majority of about 95 per cent of agreements presently being carried arround by trade unions were signed before the Buhari administration came into office in 2015.

The minister pleaded with striking health workers to return to work while negotiations continue on their demands.