The federal government and the organised labour, represented by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), have agreed on a N70, 000 national minimum wage for workers.
The figure was arrived at during a meeting between President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leaders of NLC and TUC in his office at the State House in Abuja Thursday.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, Minister of Information and Orientation Mohammed Idris said the consensus with the organised labour marked a turning point in the history of negotiations on the minimum wage.
“Today is 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 adjournment for a week to go and consult further. They did those consultations. They have come back today and we have met with Mr. President.
“We’re happy to announce today 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 like Mr. President has assured, 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 Mr. President.
“We’re moving in this transition to renewable and all other things. Mr. President has assured Labour on the issue of SSANU (to intervene in the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities), and NASU (Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions).
“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 are in agreement 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,” he said.
…SSANU, NASU withheld salaries
Also speaking, the Minister of State for Labour, Mrs Nkiru Onyejeocha, said the government and organised labour agreed that the minimum wage review be reduced to three years, stressing that the previous five years is too long.
She said the president also directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu and their education counterpart, Professor Tahir Mamman, to work out modalities to pay the withheld salaries of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non Academic Staff Union of Universities(NASU) members.
She said the president assured the organised labour that he would not disappoint.
“Recall that Labour met Mr President last week, and they asked that he should give them one week to consult more. And 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 1000, add 1000 and all that.
“That, first and foremost, that the review of this minimum wage policy has to be reduced to three years, that five years is too long a time to get any minimum wage review, that is not very healthy. And of course, that labour should look at the indices of the economy and accept N70, 000 minimum wage, and of course, that it has to be reviewed every three, years.
“Not more than that, of course, so that we will be 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.
“And, of course, he promised and asked that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, and Budget and Economic Planning, Education should make sure that they go back to the books, because he has the discretion to look into the issue of SSANU, NASU and all that, so that their money should be paid.
“And they should work out the modalities, whether it’s 50%, but that he has given that waiver that they should be paid. Of course, that issue of no work, no pay and all that issue has to be laid to a rest,” Onyejeocha said.
Besides, she further said: “And apart from that, I believe other things that were discussed, Mr. President reassured Nigerians that he is not going to rest, he is working diligently to make sure that our economy recovers. That that has to be taken into consideration. But he’s not going to joke with the welfare of Nigerians.”
…Ajaero, Osifo speak
Also speaking, NLC President Joe Ajero said the organised labour agreed to the government’s offer because of the proviso that the minimum wage would be reviewed every three years.
“Well, we’re here last week. And we’re here now, what they have announced in terms of the amount of N70,000 happens to be where we are now.
“The good thing about it is that we will not wait for another five years to come on review. Rather than settling on a figure that we wait for five years, is like we’ll have to now negotiate even two times within five years, with a view to going up. That is one of the reasons you know why we decided to reach where we are today. Because of the proviso that you know, you can review the next three years.
“The other one, we came with other issues in the basket, like the issue of SSANU, NASU and others, especially with the affront by the Commissioner of Police FCT, we brought it to Mr. President, and talked to him on the need, you know, for that matter to be addressed. And magnanimously, he asked the agencies concerned to work out the modalities for the payment of those workers in the universities.
“Although he promised some incentives like the CNG, which will lessen the burden that the Nigerian workers are passing through, but you can see that we are taking in this, well with mixed filling because of the situation of the of the economy.
“But we have to move ahead despite the situation, and the negotiation can’t linger, you know, coming from N62,000 to N70,000. And then with the proviso that we are coming back soon to negotiate it. We’re taking it back to our constituency to see how we can get a buy in. So that’s what has transpired this afternoon,” he said.
Also speaking, his TUC counterpart, Comrade Festus Osifo, said the president made a commitment that the N70,000 minimum wage proposal would be sent to the National Assembly next week for legislation.
He said: “Just as has been said by the three previous speakers, the President made a pronouncement or announcement of N70,000. That by next week, they should put finishing touches to the bill and do the transmission to the National Assembly
“But why this became a catch is actually because we from organized labour, we have been pushing that the issue of five-year review is to me so much, that a lot of economic indices may have changed, because we are in an era where things are moving very fast in terms of both macro, and micro economic policies. But with the caveat that this is going to be done every three years. The next review will be in three years.
“And after that, pronouncement, we from organized labour just as has been said, well, we have received what the President has promised from both ends. And as he said as well, we made a case for both the SSANU and NASU, that the President should, as a father of the nation, look at it compassionately, so that we will not have a case where the universities would be closed again.”
“That is actually a problem because it is your children, my brothers that attend these universities. I’m not sure that the kids of the bourgeoisie like those standing behind us, whether they attend these universities, we don’t know. I mean the Minister of State for Labour and Minister of Information.
“So, at the end he said he was going to look at it and that they should report back to him as has been said. So we are quite excited with that. Because for us, anything that will keep the university shut down, we will not allow it to happen. We will do everything possible to ensure that the issues are resolved amicably. So, we are waiting for the final outcome of that.
“Then also the issue of student loan as well, we commended the president for that. But we said that the student loan should get to the people that are targeted, not a situation where the children of the rich are also able to access the student loan, that the parameter be put in place so that the children of the poor, those that cannot actually afford school fees should be the target and they also said they will look at it as well,” added the TUC leader.
…OPS kicks
However, the Organised Private Sector (OPS) has said its members cannot pay the N70,000 National Minimum Wage announced by the federal government without support.
Director General Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) Adewale-Smatt Oyerinde said: “While we commend the President for putting to rest the immediate issue of the National Minimum Wage, we also note, most importantly his commitment to support the sub-nationals and the Organized Private Sector to pay the new wage.”