The federal government has urged state governors yet to implement the newly approved minimum wage of N70,000 to do so as the special New Year package for workers across various sectors.
The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, made this appeal in Abuja during weekend while interacting with newsmen shortly after a press briefing.
Onyejeocha said that the expectation was that the state governors would take advantage of the New Year to grant their workers the minimum wage package, adding that hopefully 2025 would bring industrial peace, devoid of frequent strikes.
According to her, the federal government had laid a foundation for industrial harmony in the country by launching National Industrial Relations Policy, NIRP, noting that the aim was to strengthen relationships between labour unions and employers.
“For me, the concern was initially whether the states would agree to pay the new minimum wage, but as you can see, most people have keyed in. I believe that it was a pass mark.
“It’s not as bad as people think and most of the states have accepted to pay N70,000 new minimum wage and are carrying everyone along in the implementation.
“Even those yet to commence its payment, at no point did they say that they are not going to pay,” she said.
The Minister also responded to the threat by the Committee of the House of Representatives on Appropriation to block allocations to the Ministry of Labour following its inability to defend their budget.
She said that the National Assembly was right in reprimanding the ministry as it is its constitutional mandate to request ministries and agencies to appear before it to answer questions on their expenditure plans.
She stated that she was offering an apology to the lawmakers on behalf of the ministry.
Onyejeocha assured that the ministry would utilise the remaining window in the budget deliberation to present and defend the ministry’s proposal.
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