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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has said it is the responsibility of government to ensure that Nigerian workers live above discomfort and enjoy improved living standard.
He said this at the inauguration of a 30-man National Minimum Wage Committee, saddled with the responsibility of coming up with a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers in the Council Chamber, of the Presidential Villa.
The president emphasized that the new minimum wage must put into consideration the ability of each tier of government to pay its workers.
According to him, drawing some members of the committee from state governments and private sector employers would ensure ease of implementation of the expected minimum wage as he expressed hope that “the principles of full consultation with social partners and their direct participation would be utilized by the committee,” in accordance with core provisions of the International Labour Organisation Minimum Wage Fixing Convention No. 131 and Minimum Wage Fixing Machinery Convention No.26 (ratified by Nigeria).
Buhari who described the Nigerian worker as a vital element in the growth and development of modern nations, recalled how a technical committee had earlier been set up following the increase in pump price of petrol in May 2016, to come up with recommendations aimed at cushioning the effects of the fuel price hike on both workers and the citizenry.
He described the committee chaired by a former Housing Minister, Ama Pepple as all encompassing, Buhari tasked the committee to thoroughly discharge their responsibility to ensure that the welfare of workers and Nigerians is well addressed.
Buhari said eventual government decision after the committee submits its report would be transformed into an executive bill that would be sent to the National Assembly to give it a legal backing.
“Considering the scope of the membership of this new National Minimum Wage Committee, we can see that it encompasses all stakeholders. My hope is that, the outcome of the deliberations of the Committee would be consensual and generally acceptable. I therefore urge you to amicably consider the issue of a National Minimum Wage and all matters that are ancillary to it with thoroughness and concern not only for the welfare of our work-force but the effect on the country’s economy.
“The subject of a National Minimum Wage for the federation is within the Exclusive Legislative List of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
Accordingly, we should aim to go above the basic Social Protection Floor for all Nigerian workers based on the ability of each tier of Government to pay.
“I say this because minimum wage is the minimum amount of compensation an employee must receive for putting in his or her labour and as such should be anchored on Social Justice and Equity.
“Government’s decision after considering your final recommendation will be sent as an Executive Bill to the National Assembly for it to undergo appropriate legislative scrutiny before passage into law,” he said.
The president added, “Accordingly, conditions of genuine social dialogue should prevail in the spirit of tripartite and collective bargaining agreements . I therefore enjoin you all to collectively bargain in good faith, have mutual recognition for each other and always in a spirit of give and take.”
The president tasked the committee to complete its assignment and submit its recommendations within a short time to enable the government put in place other necessary machinery for the implementation of a new minimum wage.
In his remark, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, who gave an account of events leading to the emergence of the committee, defined minimum wage as the least wage an employer must pay his employees in a given country.
According to him, minimum wage, as stated by the International Labour Organisation (ILO), is meant to eliminate “poverty pain” which he said usually occurs when a worker’s earnings could not guarantee him a good living.
“Today is a remarkable day because this is a journey we started in May 2016. In May 2016, the federal government of Nigeria decided to do appropriate pricing for petroleum products and because of that, the pump price of petroleum and kerosene and others had to take their real pricing.
“Coincidentally, some weeks before then, the Trade Union Congress and Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) served the government a notice that the minimum wage would last in the next one month. They made a proposal to Mr. President on what they think will be the realistic national minimum wage. At the time the fuel price was increased, there was disquiet, resulting in industrial dispute between the labour unions on one side and the government on the other side.
“Government therefore decided to set up a committee to look into how the effect of that pump price increase will be cushioned with the result that a technical committee was set up. The technical committee among other recommendations for palliatives also recommended that the national minimum wage be reviewed in consonance with the request earlier demand of the labour unions.
“Those recommendations came to council and council approved them and set up a 30-man minimum wage committee. Mr. President, it’s important for us to know that the minimum wage is the lowest wage any employer is allowed to pay in any country because the issue of minimum wage is on the exclusive federal government list. Item 34 on that list is the issue of exclusion, giving the federal government through executive and the National Assembly the right to fix the minimum wage for the country, the minimum wage is a wage that is aimed at removing the problem of what the lLO calls poverty pain which is a pain that exists when earnings from paid work do not result in a living wage and thereafter fail to push push people out of poverty and this concurrently will result in decent work deficit.
