Minimum Wage Different From Salary Review, Buhari Govt Tells NLC, TUC

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has told organised labour that the minimum wage which has resulted in the consequential adjustment in salary is different from salary review.

Ngige made this known on Thursday while receiving the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association led by its Director General, Timothy Olawale.

The Minister of State Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo (SAN) was also at the meeting held at Ngige’s office in Abuja.

Speaking, Ngige said the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari had yet to commence total implementation of the new minimum wage of N30,000 to all categories of workers because organised labour wants total salary review.

He said the present administration had set up a committee that would prepare the ground for total salary review in 2020.

“Today, we are yet to conclude on the matter of the new minimum wage. This is because in the public sector which is mainly governmental; state, local government and Federal Government, there has not been a conclusive end to it.

“As we speak, the issue of consequential adjustment is the main issue. The Minimum Wage Act was signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on April 18, 2019. From that day, the National Minimum Wage came to effect. All employers of labour in the public and private sector are expected to obey the law of the land and make sure that the least paid worker in the lowest rung of the ladder receives N30,000 minimum wage.

“However, the private sector is not really so much in trouble. From N18,000, they (private companies) have graduated with some paying more than N30,000 as minimum wage. We have problem with the public service and we are battling to see how we can weather the storm,” the minister said.

Dr Ngige urged organised labour to understand that consequential adjustment is not synonymous with total wage review.

“It is an adjustment that you do consequentially to move the last man on the rung of the ladder to N30,000.

“By doing so, you impede on other salary grade levels and therefore, you must consequentially move them up,” he added.

Naija News reports that organised labour had issued a notice that it may go on strike if the Federal Government failed to accept its demands on the consequential adjustment in workers’ salary.