We adopted N30,000 new minimum wage – NECA writes employers

Nigerian Employers Association of Nigeria (NECA) has finally made public its position over the controversies trailing the new national minimum wage.

Contrary to report from Federal Government‘s negotiation team that the parties is yet to agree on actual figure as the new minimum wage, the Association which represents all registered employers of labour otherwise called Organised Private Sector (OPS) disclosed that the sum of N30,000 was unanimously agreed during the collective bargaining process.

However, the Association warned against all forms of political manipulation of the negotiation sessions on the new minimum wage which lasted for about a year, in the interest of promoting an orderly system of industrial relations.

This was contained in a memo with Ref. No: NECA/SELA/D. 7 and dated 3rd November, 2018 addressed to ‘All Member- Companies’, titled: ‘Notice of strike by Organised Labour.’

It read:
“As you are all aware, Organised Labour had served the Federal Government notice of a nationwide strike which will take effect from Tuesday, 6th November, 2018 in the event that Government fails to act decisively on the protracted issue of the National Minimum Wage (NMW).

“It is important we fill you in, as follows, on the position of the Organised Private Sector on this issue:

“All through the process and discussions at the Tripartite National Minimum Wage Committee, our position was N25,000.00 per month proposed from the very beginning.

“We, however, supported the proposal of N30,000.00 on the last day of the committee’s sitting to avert a follow-up national strike.

Besides, N30,000.00 per month was within our mandate, which we considered very reasonable; more so, when Organised Labour was willing to trade off its position of N45,000.00 for that lower figure.

“Though Government did express preference for a lower figure than N30,000.00 per month but the Committee insisted that it would be a reasonable figure to recommend to Mr. President.

“Following the conundrum that followed this outcome, our message to all has been that:

“It is important for all parties to respect the principle, procedure and outcome of the NMW Committee on wage setting. Bearing in mind that past sessions of the NMW discussion have been guided by this time tested approach, the current session should not and cannot be any different in the interest of promoting an orderly system of industrial relations that is immune to political manipulation.

“In the light of the above, the next step in the process is for the Chairperson of the Committee to forward to Mr. President the report of the Committee including its recommendations of N30,000.00 per month National Minimum Wage, while noting any minority views in the course of arriving at this position.

“We are hoping that in order to forestall the planned strike by Organised labour, the above position would be given effect before Tuesday, 6th November for Mr. President to set in motion the process of giving legal teeth to a new National Minimum Wage, which government in its wisdom, taking note of the entirety of the recommendations of the NMW Committee, is at liberty to take decision on. We are aware there is already a move in that direction,” the memo read.

Meanwhile, Boss Mustapha, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) on Sunday night, disclosed that 27 State Governments cannot afford the agreed national minimum wage.

Mustapha who spoke after a brief closed door meeting with Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment as well as Zainab Ahmed, Minister of Finance and representatives of Organised Private Sector (OPS), acknowledged that there are knotty issues yet to be resolved before the Tripartite Negotiation winded down its activities.

As earlier reported exclusively by BusinessDay, leaders of the three labour centres shunned the meeting called at the instance of Federal Government, just as they resolved to proceed with the nationwide strike as last resort to demand for the implementation of the N3,000 new National Minimum Wage.

Speaking at the aborted conciliation meeting Mustapha explained that the conciliation meeting was part of the exercises that ought to be undertaken to ensure that there was a complete report to submitted to the presidency on the issues related to the National Minimum Wage.

Mustapha said that the Tripartite Committee who noted that the Committee has been working assiduously, however acknowledged that there were outstanding issues that needed to be dealt with, hence the resolve for the rescheduled reconciliation meeting.

“Basically the only outstanding issue that needs to be dealt with is to harmonise the 5th chapter of the report and get the figures in for the purposes of submission to government.

“The inaugural speech by Mr President, there were very salient points, that cause me to reflect on the work of this committee and one of it is that there is emphasis that the committee will by consensual agreement arrived at all their decisions and I think that was very important.

“Mr President went further to emphasis that the concern is not only for the welfare of the workers but also every other thing should be taken on board as it affects the country’s economy. So it is a balance of the welfare of the workforce with the effect of the new Minimum Wage and the economy.

“He also underpinned his speech by emphasising the fact that we plan to do above basic social protection for Nigerian worker but also tie to the ability to pay, because I know that a lot of states are even having difficulty meeting the basic minimum wage,” he observed.

Mustapha argued that 27 states were having difficulty in paying the basic minimum wage that was agree, saying he was not making any excuses for them.

He added that the meeting will continue tomorrow, thereafter the tripartite committee will continue their meeting.

“I want to assure all of you that once the report is concluded and ready, I will personally ensure that Mr President sign immediately on it,” Mustapha said.

As at the time of filing this, it was uncertain whether Organised labour will reverse the decision of the joint Central Working Committee (CWC) to suspend the November 6 nationwide strike in adherence with the ruling of National Industrial Court which restrained the organised labour from embarking on the planned strike.

 

KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja

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