FEC Delays Decision On Minimum Wage Memo

The Federal Executive Council deferred the decision on the new minimum wage memo due to the involvement of multiple stakeholders including local governments, states, the federal government, and labour unions.

Eko Hot Blog reports that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) has deferred the memo on the new minimum wage.

This online media platform learned that the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, revealed the latest development while speaking to State House Correspondents on Tuesday.

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Idris stated that 39 items were on the agenda, and all were addressed except for the minimum wage. According to the Minister, the report was prepared by the Tripartite Committee, which includes representatives from local government, states, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and the federal government.

He mentioned that while the Tripartite Committee had submitted its report and a memo was presented, the Council could not reach a decision on the minimum wage due to the involvement of various stakeholders, including local governments, states, the federal government, the 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.

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.