FEC Steps Down Memo On New Minimum Wage, Gives Reason

The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has stepped down the memo on the new minimum wage.

Naija News learnt that the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, revealed the latest development while speaking to State House Correspondents on Tuesday.

Idris said 39 items were on the agenda, and all were taken except the minimum wage.

According to the Minsiter, there was a report by the Tripartite committee, which comprises local government, States, NLC/ TUC and the federal government.

He said the Tripartite Committee submitted its report, and there was a memo to that effect.

Idris noted that the Council could not decide on the minimum because it involves Local Government, states, FG, Organized Private Sector and Labour unions.

On why the memo on the new minimum wage was stepped down, Idris said the action was taken to enable President Bola Tinubu to consult widely before a final submission to the National Assembly.

Minimum Wage: Approve ₦250,000 Demand

Meanwhile, Organised Labour, on Monday, charged President Bola Tinubu to prove his love for Nigerian workers and approve its demand of ₦250,000 minimum wage to reflect the present inflationary trend in the country.

A member of the organised labour negotiating team in the Tripartite Committee of the New National Minimum Wage and President-General of the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria (MWUN), Adewale Adeyanju, in an interview with Vanguard, accused state governors of stalling efforts at achieving a reasonable wage for public workers.

He said, “If you are an employer of labour and you do not have the love of your workers in your heart, how do you call yourself an employer of labour? We have problems with OPS and the state governors that believe they cannot afford to pay ₦30, 000 talk less of the figure that labour is demanding.

“We started having that issue at the negotiating table where they were dragging from N30, 000 to ₦48, 000 and to ₦60, 000. They were pricing as if it were tomatoes and onions before they now finally came out and said ₦62,000.”