Minimum wage: Nigerian governors demand emergency meeting

Nigerian governors under the umbrella of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) led by Zamfara state governor, Abdulaziz Yari, have on Wed, november 14, required an emergency meeting to debate the problem of minimum wage.

The emergency meeting is anticipated to be held in Abuja tonight to debate how much the governors are willing to pay as minimum wage.

Some of the governors had earlier kicked against the NLC demands, saying they’ll not fall for any blackmail or attempt to stampede them into reaching an agreement on the new minimum wage currently threatening peaceful industrial relations in Nigeria.

The statement by the governors came at a period the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and its affiliate unions announced commencement of a nationwide industrial action starting from midnight on Wednesday, September 26 to protest the delay in fixing a new minimum wage for public servants.

Recall that Our Newsesk  earlier reported that the NLC appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to expedite action on the proposed new national minimum wage by transmitting it to the National Assembly in good time.
Peter Eson-Ozo, NLC general secretary said this in an interview on Monday, November 12, in Abuja.

Eson-Ozo said the tripartite committee on the new national minimum wage had concluded its meetings and a report of N30,000 was agreed upon as the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

Meanwhile, our news source earlier reported that the leadership of the organised labour on Tuesday, November 13, issued a December deadline for the full implementation of N30,000 as new national minimum wage.

The organised labour also warned the federal government against any form of reduction on N30,000 agreed by the tripartite committee on the National Minimum Wage.

In report to the report to the president, the unions said that any further delay in its passage of the new minimum wage will lead to devastating consequences.

Speaking at a meeting of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Association of Senior Civil Servant of Nigeria (ASCSN) held at the Chida Hotel, Abuja on Tuesday, November 13, the president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Bobboi Bala Kaigama, said workers are patiently waiting for the president to forward the bill to National Assembly for its passage.