Don’t embark on strike over minimum wage bill, FG appeals to labour

The Federal Government has appealed to the Organised Labour not to commence strike over the minimum wage bill in the National Assembly.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, on Tuesday, made the plea at the meeting of the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) in Owerri, Imo State.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige

The occasion was virtually affirmed open by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on behalf of the President Muhammadu Buhari.

Administering his opening address, Ngige declared that much as he supports the opposition of the organised labour to the bill, they should not begin strike due to the development.

The bill, which is before the House of Representatives, requests to eliminate the National Minimum Wage from the exclusive to the coexisting legislative list.

Ngige stated that the labour needed not to express gratitude for his position on the bill as he was repeating the position of the Federal Government to reflect in its adoption of conventions of the International Labour Organisation on the minimum wage.

He said, “Although the council has been inactive, the Ministry in the spirit of Tripartism has ensured and maintained a sound tripartite relationship with social partners.

“For example, during the negotiation for the national minimum wage from 2017 to 2018, we used the tripartite plus composition of government, employers, employees and other interests- and for other interests, we made sure that it reflected the members of this council.

“That was why we got the Nigerian Governors Forum involved in that negotiation and we called it tripartite plus.

“Mr President of NLC, you didn’t need to thank me for what I said about the minimum wage bill because I was reechoing what the Nigerian government stood for by adopting the ILO Convention 28, the Minimum Wage Fixing Machinery Convention of 1928 (No.26) and the Minimum Wage Fixing Convention of 1970 (No131). From these conventions, the Minimum wage Act was signed in 1981. So, I am with you 100 percent, but I don’t want you to go on strike on that.”

The President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Ayuba Wabba lauded Buhari for establishing the National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC).

Chairman of Trade Union Congress, Quadri Olaleye represented by his deputy, Oyinkan Olasonye, commended Ngige for being industrious and diligent, but stated that they will keep on knocking on his door “until we have total industrial peace.”