The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has expressed worries over the failure of the federal government to inaugurate the new minimum wage committee three months to the expiration of the current one.
The labour union warned the federal government to avoid a situation where the committee would have to work under pressure.
The deputy president of the TUC, Tommy Okon, expressed the view while speaking with newsmen in Lagos on Tuesday and urged the government to engage relevant stakeholders as soon as possible.
He added that organized labour has already done its part and forwarded a list pf members that would be part of the tripartite committee for wage negotiations to the government.
According to him, there is no gain saying in the fact that the current N30,000 minimum wage is no longer sustainable in light of current economic realities.
“The intention of the government is not known to us. This is because by now, the committee should have been inaugurated.
“We do not want a situation where the work of the committee is done under desperation. This is January, and the N30,000 national minimum wage will expire on April 18 this year (2024).
“So, it is expected that by now, the committee would have been inaugurated and a chairman of the committee appointed. This is because it is tripartite in nature, and the committee has to conduct the activities also on zonal basis.
“Thereafter, it will come to a conclusion where whatever will be agreed will also be sent to the National Assembly which in turn will also look at the public hearing and thereafter send it to Mr. President for assent,” Okon said.
The labour leader added that the current delay has both positive and negative implications.
According to him, the positive is in the sense that the government may have an agenda unknown to labour and try to be sure of what it wants to come out with, while the negative implication is the wrong signal it may be sending to Nigerians and the international communities about government attitude to labour matters.
“However, the negative implication is that it may send a wrong signal that the government is not willing to negotiate the National Minimum Wage and that will be a very wrong impression, if the public is taking that as the position.
“Also, Nigerian workers and the masses are not finding it easy because of the socio-economic challenges.
“We know that the N30,000 minimum wage cannot do anything, much less for transportation, payment of house rent, children’s school fees, even taking care of some life-threatening challenges.
“So, these are the implications. It is also going to send a negative signal to even the international communities. This is because now, we are talking about transition to energy. These are things that need to be put in place,” Okon said.
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