FG, Labour Meet, Resume Minimum Wage Talks

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige has hinted that the government desires to end negotiation on the consequential adjustment before the end of next month.

Naija News reports that the minister said the desire of the government was to allow for smooth implementation of the new pay.

“Let us do everything we are doing quickly before the end of November so that people will enjoy this money effective from April,” he said in a statement obtained by Naija News.

He submitted that today’s meeting was likely to be a make or mar parley, saying: “Tomorrow’s (today) meeting is a mix grill. It could be one hour, two hours or can be 12 hours depending on what we are able to achieve today (yesterday). Therefore, I want to appeal to everybody to show some understanding. We are going to discuss dispassionately, and nothing would be hidden from anybody. I have advised government side to come prepared and be ready to present their case meaningfully.”

Similarly, the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, restated yesterday that there was no going back on the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari that “recalcitrant workers who have defied attempts for their organisations to be captured be cut off from the Federal Government treasury receipt.”

Naija News recall that the labour had proposed to embark on strike action on the grounds that the meeting with the federal government slated for Wednesday, October 15 falls on deadlock.

The much-anticipated minimum wage talks between the federal government and the labour is, however,  expected to end with a favourable conclusion for the full implementation of the new minimum wage.