NLC, TUC Ask Govt to Step Down Issue of Minimum Wage, Details Emerge
- Almost a month after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the new national minimum wage of N70,000 into law, implementation has become a topical subject
- NLC and TUC in Delta told the state government that the implementation of the new minimum wage of N70,000 should begin after receiving the template and consequential adjustment details from the Tinubu administration
- Legit.ng reports that wages have become the top issue for Nigeria’s organised labour movements in the past year
Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering public journalism.
Asaba, Delta state – As attention remains on the implementation of the new national minimum wage, Goodluck Ofobruku, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) chairman in Delta, and his Trade Union (TUC) counterpart, Martins Bolum, have specifically requested a stay of action by the state government “in the best interest of workers.”
As reported by The Nation on Sunday, August 25, the labour leaders said that this was necessary because it was yet to receive from Abuja the enabling circular on the issue.
Photo credit: @NLCHeadquarters
Source: Twitter
Legit.ng reports that after months of failed discussions, last month, the organised labour and the federal government agreed on N70,000 as a new minimum wage.
Following the agreement, the national assembly amended the minimum wage act, which was subsequently signed into law by President Bola Tinubu.
Minimum wage: Delta NLC awaiting FG’s template
Not much has been heard at the sub-national level about the new minimum wage, which replaced the former N30,000 that expired last April, according to the former act.
Explaining the reason for the delayed implementation of the new minimum wage in Delta state, NLC’s Ofobruku assured workers that they had nothing to fear as the funds for the new minimum wage were already in the 2024 budget.
Business Day Newspaper quoted Ofobruku as saying:
“We asked the government to step down the issue of the new minimum wage until we see the template.
“As we speak, we’ve been informed that the salary adjustments for levels 1 to 5 are ready while levels 6 and above will be finalised in about two weeks.
“However, some of us objected to this phased approach because there has never been a time where implementation starts with the junior cadre first.”
Read more on minimum wage
Passport: “Minimum wage earner will struggle” – Monye
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Morris Monye, a chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), stressed that a passport is a citizen’s “fundamental right”.
Monye stated that a minimum wage earner (N70,000) in Nigeria will struggle to get a passport following the federal government’s upward review of the fees.
Source: Legit.ng
