MINIMUM WAGE: Angry NLC pours venom on Labour minister Ngige

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has expressed dismay over an announcement by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, that the new minimum wage cannot be implemented as earlier agreed.

Angry with this development, NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, in a statement on Friday wondered who must have sent Ngige “on this nebulous errand” that postponed the implementation of the new minimum wage from September 2018 to a no definited time.

Wabba, expressing regret with the sudden change in the proposed implementation date, argued that the expected increase in salaries is the difference between survival and extinction for many workers.

He expressed shock that the painful reality would happen after Ngige had without any prompting informed the world that the Federal Government would start paying the new wage in September.

“The current volte face by the Minister of Labour is not only provocative, it is also insensitive especially in the face of the excruciating suffering being endured by Nigerian workers particularly as occasioned by the increase in the cost of living.

“Do we need to remind the Minister that he was once a civil servant who always looked forward to his monthly salary? Nigerian workers who are not privileged to earn fat salaries, allowances, estacodes and other perks of political appointment are looking forward to enjoy minimal relief in the form of the new national minimum wage,” he said.

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Wabba said that Ngige’s statement was not only a gaffe that is inconsistent with the fervour so far demonstrated by the tripartite committee set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to review the national minimum wage, but also at variance with the declaration made by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo when he represented the President at this year’s May Day celebration.

The NLC leader added, “Our concern is, who is the Minister of Labour speaking for? Nigerian workers want to know who has sent Dr. Chris Ngige on this nebulous errand. On whose side is the Minister of Labour on the upward review of the National Minimum Wage?”

He called on the tripartite committee to accelerate action so that discussions and negotiations are ended by August, 2018 to allow Nigerian workers start benefitting as quickly as possible from the New National Minimum Wage.

 

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