The Federal government and Organized Labour yesterday settled for N70,000 as the new minimum wage.
The agreement was reached after the meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of organized labour as well as some members of the government team on the tripartite committee on the new national minimum wage.
Recall that the tripartite committee had submitted two figures in its report to the President as a result of disagreement among the government, the private sector and organized labour.
While the government and the private sector offered N62,000, organized labour demanded N250,000.
Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting with the President yesterday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said President Tinubu agreed to pay N70,000 from the initial offer of N62,000.
He said: “Today’s (yesterday) a happy day for Nigeria. You recall that last week, we had a meeting here and the Organized Private Sector and the sub-nationals have also held their various meetings with Mr. President, following the submission of the tripartite agreement to Mr. President.
“Labour came last week. They had a meeting with Mr. President. They asked for an adjournment for a week to go and consult further. They did those consultations. They came back today (yesterday) and we have met with Mr. President.
FG, Labour agree on N70,000
“We’re happy to announce that both the Federal Government and Organized Labour have agreed on an increase on the N62,000. The new national minimum wage that we expect to submit to the National Assembly for legislation is N70,000.
“But that is not all. There is also a boost, Mr. President has assured to ensuring that massive investment is going to be made in the area of infrastructure. There is also a deepening of the investment of the Federal Government in renewable energy.
“More money is going to go into the acquisition of more buses, the CNG buses, Nigeria is going to be more CNG-compliant, according to the President.
“We’re moving in this transition to renewable and all other things Mr President has assured Labour, the issue of ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities), SSANU (Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities) and NASU (Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions) is also going to be looked at.
“We are happy, we are very thankful for the role organized labour has played. They recognized the Federal Government’s role in ensuring that we have local government autonomy, and also ensuring that both Labour and government are on the same page.
“They have seen the magnanimity of the President and today, the leadership of Labour said they didn’t come here for negotiation, not at all, they came here in that deep sense of patriotism to ensure that Nigeria remains united, Nigeria becomes more prosperous and it is in that spirit that they agree with what the Federal Government has done today.
“We want to thank Labour for their patriotism. We also want to thank Mr President, the Federal Government, the sub-nationals and Organized Private Sector for going through this painstaking effort but also ensuring that at the end of the day, Nigeria is the winner for it all.”
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, said President Tinubu had always shown he would not disappoint the country, which he has exhibited.
She recall that Labour met with the President last week, and they (labour) asked that President Tinubu gave them one week to consult more.
“Of course, at the end of the day, the consultation came, very fruitful because the President said he has to be a father, that it is not the issue of the law of who is right, or who will blink first, that he is our father, like he has always said.
“That we should end the issue of give me N1000, add N1000 and all that. , first and foremost, the review of this minimum wage policy has to be reduced to three years, and five years is too long a time to get any minimum wage review.
“Of course, that labour should look at the indices of the economy and accept N70,000, minimum wage, and that it has to be reviewed every three years, so we’re able to evaluate and see whether our economy is picking up, or whether something has to be done further, considering the sensitivity of the issue.
“He promised and asked that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy and the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning should make sure they go back to the books, because he has the discretion to look into the issue ot SSANU, NASU and all that so that their money should be paid.
“They should work out the modalities, whether it’s 50%, or whatever, but that he has given that waiver to be paid, because, of course, that was an issue of ‘no work, no pay’, and that issue has to be laid to rest.”
She said other things were discussed, adding that the President reassured Nigerians that he was not going to rest, as he was working diligently to make sure the economy recovered.
The Labour Minister appealed to Labour to take into consideration all the efforts of the government in trying to turn things around.
Asked to clarify the issue of SSANU and NASU over the four months withheld salaries, Onyejeocha said: “That’s what he (President) said, that the ministers of finance and education were there and then budget and economic planning. He told them to go and work out the modalities to pay their money.”
Source: Vanguard
