N27,000 Minimum Wage: NLC Holds Emergency Meeting Today

Organized Labour Meets To Take Decision on 27,000 Minimum Wage

The Organised Labour will hold an emergency National Executive Council meeting today to decide whether it will accept the N27,000 minimum wage approved by the Council of State on Tuesday.

This is just as the bill passed the first and second readings at the Senate on Thursday just hours after President Muhammadu Buhari transmitted the draft legislation to the lawmakers, Naija News reports.

Buhari, in the letter forwarding the bill, said the Federal Government was proposing N27,000 as the new national minimum wage against the N18,000 that currently obtains.”

“This new Bill and the amendments contained therein were arrived at after consultations by the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage which was constituted by me in November 2017, to consider, make recommendations, and advise the Government on this.

“The Tripartite Committee comprised representatives of the Federal Government, Governors’ Forum, Organised Private Sector, and the Organised Federations of Trade Unions in Nigeria.

“The Federal Executive Council, National Economic Council, and the National Council of States have all noted and approved these recommended amendments. Other highlights of the amendments include i‎. Exemptions for Establishments employing less than 25 persons; ii‎. Five (5) years review period of the Act in consonance with the Constitutional review period of Pensions; iii‎. Alterations in the amount of fines payable by defaulters on the prosecution,”

In the letter dated January 22,  the President urged the lawmakers to expedite action on the bill.

However, the NLC has rejected the 27,000 minimum wage noting that it was not in agreement with the N30,000 recommended by a tripartite committee set up by the federal government, Naija News reports.

Already urging the NLC to accept the Minimum Wage figure by the National Council of State include, Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP), Edo chapter, the Registrar of the Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), Prof. Josiah Ajiboye among others.