Governors not paying old minimum wage among new committee – NLC

Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), has said state governors, who either don’t pay the old minimum wage or pay it in breaches, are among members of the new National Minimum Wage Committee.

On Tuesday, Vice President Kashim Shettima inaugurated a 37-man tripartite committee on National Minimum Wage with a mandate to recommend a new national minimum wage for the country.

The committee is expected to engage in a genuine dialogue and collective bargaining to arrive at a reasonable and realistic minimum wage.

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Thereafter an Executive Bill would be sent to the National Assembly.

But commenting on the issue during an interview on Channels TV, Ajaero said, “The day of the expiration of the last minimum wage is March. Ordinarily, we (the committee) have one month plus to work on. I pray that we work seriously to actualise the aim within this one month.

“Our agreement with the federal government is to have a minimum wage committee where the body will discuss and agree on a portable minimum wage that will be more inclusive and address the needs of the workers in the present dispensation.

“However, from the composition of the minimum wage committee, especially the governors are those that are either not paying the current minimum wage or are paying it in breaches. I pray that they entered this with an open heart. Governors who are in full compliance with the previous minimum wage are not adequately represented in this committee.”