ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has disclosed that President Bola Tinubu may transmit a bill on new national minimum wage to the National Assembly next week after a scheduled meeting with the organised labour on Thursday.
The president had, last week, met with the leadership of the organised labour over the minimum wage issue, with the leaders saying they will return with a position in their next meeting with President Tinubu this week.
The tripartite committee of the new national minimum wage had submitted two separate figures to the president following the disagreement among the different stakeholders.
While the government team and the organised private sector had offered N62,000, the organised labour made a demand of N250,000.
President Tinubu, upon the receipt of the committee’s report, had promised to meet with the relevant stakeholders to harmonise the figure before transmitting executive bill to the National Assembly.
Briefing State House Correspondents, at the end of a the Federal Executive Council, Idris said the president will transmit the executive bill after the meeting with the organised labour on Thursday.
He also said the executive will send what he described as an amendment to the 2024 budget to the National Assembly.
According to him, the amendment would take care of the new minimum wage among other things.
He said: “Now, you are also aware that last week, the National Labour Congress met with the president. This, of course, was part of the consultations that the president has agreed.
“Recall he had met with the organised sector, he had also met with sub-nationals after the tripartite committee on labour had submitted its report.
“In order to ensure there is a thorough analysis of the situation so that government would come up with a minimum wage that works for Nigerians, the Federal Government, the sub-nationals and the organised private sector.
“That was also discussed today. And government has also directed the ministry of budgets to come up with additional support for the 2024 budget, so that any differential or any gap that will exist in terms of what existed before 2024 budget was approved, a supplementary budget and also what the requirement is for now.
“So, government is working around the clock to ensure it comes up with a minimum wage. At the end of the day, this, of course, will be submitted to the National Assembly so that you can have legislative backing.
“Let me also say the president is also open to meeting the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and all the affiliates. We expect that meeting to hold on Thursday.
“Recall that this was already what the labour unions requested during their meeting with Mr. President last week. So, the president is in agreement, he knows that the labour wants to quickly find the lasting solution to the issue of minimum wage and government is also in a hurry to put the issue of minimum wage behind it.
“It is expected that the NLC, TUC and all the affiliates as requested by them,last week, will meet the president on Thursday. And after which the president will now transmit whatever the final agreement or what his views are on the tripartite committee report to the National Assembly for legislation.”
