Latest twist thrown up by the organized labour movement on their journey for N30,000 new minimum wage has elicited reactions from Nigerians.
Since the submission of the report by Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage President Muhammadu Buhari by Ms Ammal Peppel, the federal government had been making conflicting comments. Whereas it was believed on the submission of the report that Mr. President had concurred to N30,000, recent comments by the Minister of Information that government is yet to take decision, meaning that the earlier agreement by Buhari may have been overruled.
However, sensing danger, the body of labour unions has given the Federal Government December deadline to commence payment of the N30,000 new national minimum wage to Nigerian workers.
Besides, there are signals that labour may resume the suspended nationwide strike in the next two weeks should the government continue to foot drag on the implementation of the report of the Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage.
Already, workers have warned that any reduction in the N30,000 agreed as contained in the committee’s report to President Muhammadu Buhari or any further delay in its passage would lead to devastating consequences.
The new position was arrived at the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja by President of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Bobboi Bala Kaigama and the Secretary General of the Association of Senior Civil Servant of Nigeria (ASCSN), Bashir Alade Lawal.
In their joint submission, they averred that “Labour would not accept anything less than the N30,000 agreed by the Committee and that Nigerian workers patiently await President Buhari to forward an Executive Bill to the National Assembly for passage into law”.
Nigerians who barred their minds on the new position of the organized labour hailed the ambush, saying only such threat will make government do the needful within the shortest time.
