Minimum wage: FG, labour meeting inconclusive again

Negotiation between the Federal Government and organized labour
on the N30000 minimum wage remained inconclusive at the end of
another round of meeting last night in Abuja.

Both sides are scheduled to reconvene on Monday to take a final
decision on the grey areas.

Labour Minister Chris Ngige told reporters at the end of a
five-hour long meeting yesterday that substantial progress had been
made in the discussion and that all that is left is a final
resolution.

Ngige said there was no deadlock as the two sides agreed on most
of the issues tabled for discussion and only adjourned to allow for
further consultations.

He said President Muhammadu Buhari wanted the issue thrashed out
and he would not have set up the tripartite committee on the
minimum wage if he was not interested in the matter in the first
place.

Also speaking, NLC President Ayuba Wabba dismissed any idea that
the meeting was deadlocked.

His words: “the meeting decided to adjourn and reconvene on
Monday for us to do further consultations before the issues are
concluded. We have discussed all the issues and all the areas,
particularly how we can ensure that the issue is put behind us.

“That is why we took such a long time, including having a
timeout to consult. But we have not been able to conclude and we
have agreed to reconvene to tidy up the process.

“The issue is stake is to make sure that the bill is transmitted
and also other auxiliary issues that government says they are
trying to put together. We also want to see how the money gets into
the pocket of our workers because a lot of economic factors have
affected the current wage.

“But the major issue is that we have been able to have a
meaningful social dialogue. But the process is not conclusive and
will reconvene on Monday.

“Monday is not too far from now since today is Friday.”

He said the outcome of Monday’s meeting would determine whether
labour would proceed with its planned rallies on Tuesday.

Continuing, he said: ”Part of the report that was submitted is
all inclusive of the main report and draft bill. But those
processes which they need to ensure that a clean bill is
transmitted to the National Assembly and what they now termed some
physical issues are what we will tidy up on Monday. So, let us wait
for that Monday.”

The meeting started at about 12.50 pm with several breaks
in-between to allow for consultations with stakeholders including
President Buhari.

The Nation gathered that the Labour leaders insisted on a
definite date when the government will transmit the minimum wage
bill to the National Assembly, a decision the three ministers
present could not take on their own.

Addressing the meeting earlier, Ngige said the President was
committed to giving Nigerian workers a new minimum wage.

He said however that in addressing the issue, the government
wanted to ensure that the new minimum wage was sustainable.

He said “I do realise that this is still part of the Christmas
period and that people are still on holiday. You can see the two
Ministers in charge of government resources. The Minister of Budget
and National Planning and the Minister of Finance. Mr. President
specifically asked them to be part of this meeting. We had to cut
short our vacation because of the need for us to discuss.

“You know that people can go to war when there is a lack of
information and in the process, people can misconstrue and
speculate. We called this meeting as a result of the communique
issued by the joint Labour Centres after your Executive meeting in
Lagos when you informed the government that you are not happy with
the implementation processes of the report of the tripartite
committee.”

President of the NLC, Comrade Aruba Wabba who spoke for Labour
said organised has always wanted all issues of industrial relations
resolved through dialogue, adding that the issue on ground has
nothing to do with money, but the process leading to the final
outcome.

Wabba said “Clearly, we have always believed in social dialogue
in resolving industrial relations issues. From the beginning of the
issue of this new national minimum wage which was legally due in
2016, labour has demonstrated enough patience and understanding and
has followed all the processes to make sure that we are able to
dispense with this issue.”