NEW MINIMUM WAGE: We Won’t Sign Agreement Less Than N30,000

A LABOUR leader, Mr. Joe Ajaero, said yesterday that the organised labour would never sign any agreement with the Federal Government on new National Minimum Wage, which is less than N30, 000.

Ajaero, who is United Labour Congress (ULC) President,  said in Lagos that the tripartite committee agreed that N30,000 would be paid at the end of its negotiation as the new Minimum Wage for workers.

“N24, 000 can never be the new Minimum Wage for workers. If the government pays it, then it is an award,” Ajaero added.

He said it was sad that N30, 000 was adopted by the tripartite committee, but the representatives of government announced N24, 000.

The ULC leader insisted that the organised labour would stand against it and would not sign any document, which does not reflect the true deliberation by the tripartite committee.

He added that the committee had concluded its meeting on the new wage and labour was expecting the government to invite them to sign an agreement on the decision.

“No more meetings. A date has been fixed to sign an agreement on the figure agreed. On that day, if the amount is not what the tripartite committee agreed, the organised labour will not sign,” he said.

On November 27, 2017, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the appointment of a 30-member tripartite National Minimum Wage Committee for the negotiation of a new national minimum wage.

Labour collectively demanded for N65,000 per month as the new Minimum Wage for all workers as harmonised by the organised labour.

However, after many delays on reaching an agreement on the figure, the NLC, TUC and the ULC on September 26 went on a two-day nationwide warning strike, to protest government’s delay on the wage by not allowing the committee conclude its job.