Minimum Wage: Again, FG, Labour Fail To Conclude Negotiation

Organised Labour and the Federal Government has adjourned its meeting on the implementation of the new national minimum wage to 7:00 pm today, Thursday.

Naija News reports that this is following the failure of all parties involved to conclude negotiation over consequential adjustment in workers’ salaries despite beginning their meeting by 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday and ending at 2:00 a.m. on Thursday.

Speaking after the meeting, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, said assignments have been given to some people to do and report back to the committee.

He said: “The work involved is enormous. We are giving them the entire day to get back to us; issues of money and wage adjustment with different wage structures. We have 12 different wage structures presently in Nigeria.

“We don’t want to make a mistake that would be fatal thereby put the whole exercise in jeopardy. We have consensually agreed that we will reconvene this meeting at 7:00 p.m. today.

“This will enable those that we give assignment to complete them and get back to us. We are okay with the meeting moving on smoothly. It is very cordial. We disagreed on various issues but we have agreed.”

Also speaking after the meeting, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, said embarking on strike has been placed on hold.

According to him, it was not in labour practice to disrupt ongoing negotiations.

“In collective bargaining, if a meeting is adjourned, you should know that that is not our practice (declaring strike).

“Our practice is that until we are able to conclude the issues, we will be able to inform them (Nigerians) appropriately, but not midway when we are making progress.

“We cannot abruptly disrupt the process. At the appropriate time we should be able to give details,” he said.

Wabba, however, disclosed that the major issues remaining in the negotiation were percentage increase and implementation by the government.