Minimum Wage: Tinubu to meet Labour on Thursday

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to meet with the Organised Labour comprising of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), on Thursday.

This was made known by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Monday.

Addressing State House Correspondents after the FEC meeting, the Minister also disclosed that last week meeting with the leadership of the NLC and TUC was part of the ongoing consultation towards a new Minimum wage.

He also disclosed that the President would  send the bill on the new minimum wage and an amended budget to the National Assembly after the meeting.

The Minister did not however specify the time line for the submissions of the bill.

Recall that President Tinubu had met with the leadership of the organized labour last week over the minimum wage issue.

The Tripartite Committee of the new National Minimum Wage had submitted two figures to the President following the disagreement among the stakeholders.

While the government team and the organized private sector had offered N62,000, the organized labour is insisting on N250,000.

READ ALSO: Minimum Wage: N250,000 demand remains until end of discussions with Tinubu – Labour

President Tinubu upon the receipt of the committee’s report, had promised to meet with the relevant stakeholders so as to harmonize the figure before transmitting executive bill to the National Assembly.

But addressing State House Correspondents, Idris said, “you are also aware that last week, the Nigerian Labour Congress met the president. This of course was part of the consultation that the President has agreed.

“Recall that he had met the organized sector, he had also met subnationals after the tripartite committee on Labour had submitted its report.

“In order to ensure that there is a thorough analysis of the situation so that government would come up with a minimum wage that works for all Nigerians, the federal government, the subnationals and the organized private sector met”.

The Minister also disclosed that government has also directed the ministry of budgets to come up with additional support for the 2024 budget, “so that any differential or any gaps that will exist in terms of what existed before 2024 budget was approved, a supplementary budget and also what the requirement is for now.

“So government is working around the clock to ensure that it comes up with a minimum wage, like I said, a wage that works for all Nigerians. At the end of the day, this of course will be submitted to the National Assembly so that you can have legislative backing.”

On the meeting with Labour, the Minister said the president is open to meeting the Nigerian Labour, Trade Union Congress, and all the affiliates.” We expect that meeting to hold this coming Thursday.

“Recall that this was already what the Labour unions requested during their meeting with Mr. President last week. So the President is in agreement, he knows that the Labour wants to quickly find the lasting solution to the issue of minimum wage and government is also assured to put the issue of minimum wage behind it.

“So it is expected that the NLC, TUC and all the affiliates as requested by them last week, will meet the president on Thursday. And after which the president will now transmit whatever tie final agreement or what his views are on the tripartite committee report to the National Assembly for legislation.”

Proofreading by Uchechi Ojo, Sub-editor at Neptune Prime. 

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