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MINIMUM WAGE: Labour talks tough, gives govt Dec 31 ultimatum

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MINIMUM WAGE: Buhari, Labour meet

Labour unions have rejected a statement made by President Muhammadu Buhari that a “high powered technical committee” would be set up to look into the implementation of agreements made between the labour union and the federal government.

After a joint meeting in Lagos on Thursday the three labour entities, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the United Labour Congress (ULC) took a stand.

The labour has, therefore, given the federal government up till December 31 to send the tripartite committee report on N30,000 minimum wage to the National Assembly.

President Muhammadu Buhari while presenting the 2019 budget before a joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday had said that a “high powered technical committee” would be set up to device ways to implement the report to avoid leading to increasing borrowing.

Addressing journalists after the meeting, the NLC President, Ayuba Wabba said the President’s statement was only to buy more time and distract the union from taking any strike action.

He contradicted the federal government’s claim that an increase in minimum wage may result to inflation while saying it would help the economy.

“We reject in its entirety the plan to set up another `high powered technical committee’ on the minimum wage. It is diversionary and a delay tactics.

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“The national minimum wage committee was both technical and all-encompassing in its compositions and plan to set up a technical committee is alien to the tripartite process.

“It is also alien to the International Labour Organisations’ conventions on national minimum wage setting mechanism,’’ he said.

“If you increase minimum wage, you are increasing the purchasing power of the economy which will help to reduce inflation rather than increase it,’’ Mr Wabba said.

The labour leader instructed Nigerian workers to campaign and vote against politicians unwilling to implement the new minimum wage.

While complementing the NLC’s stand, the ULC president, Mr Joe Ajaero said all affiliate members of the organised labour had been alerted on the December 31 ultimatum issued to the government.

The November 6 planned strike by the labour was shelved while the federal government has been delaying in passing on the minimum wage bill to the National Assembly.

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