Leadership of the National Assembly would soon meet to deliberate on the controversy surrounding the N18, 000 minimum wage across the federation.
In the absence of standing committees of the National Assembly that would interface with labour, Senate President, David Mark and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal may anchor the parley before handing over to an ad-hoc committee, it was learnt yesterday.
The meeting is against the backdrop of a two-week ultimatum handed down by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to embark on a nationwide industrial action.
Workers had threatened to ground the economy unless state governors agree to pay the national minimum wage of N18, 000.
NLC President Abdulwaheed Omar and Peter Esele, TUC president general vowed to resist any move by government to deduct arbitrary tax from workers’ salaries.
Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba confirmed the intervention of the National Assembly leadership but declined to disclose when the meeting would hold.
But a ranking Senator privy to the meeting expressed surprise that state governors could do a u-turn on the agreement to pay the new minimum wage.
He, however, insisted that state governors were bound by the new law.
“The position of some state governors is surprising but we know it’s an economic issue. State governors have since ratified the decision of the National Economic Council. We all know that state governors are members of this body. They took a joint decision; so why the turnaround now?
“Well, they can’t back out now. The new minimum wage is already an Act; it’s already a law that they must obey. They have to pay.”
On November 25, 2010, the NEC met in Abuja and approved the monthly minimum wage of N18, 000 for workers in the country.
All federal, state and local government agencies were expected to pay the wage while only private organizations with more than 50 staff would be affected.
The NEC is the umbrella body of the governors of the 36 states of the federation and the federal economic team.
An amendment of section one of the National Minimum Wage Act stipulates that, “it shall be the duty of every employer to pay a wage not less than the national minimum wage of N18, 000 per month to every worker under his establishment.”
The Act had also provided for a revised national minimum wage and also provided for a realistic penalty regime for violations of the provisions of the Act.
It was also a day senators canvassed removal of the minimum wage from the Exclusive Legislative List so that workers all over the federation could enjoy the new minimum wage at the same time.
In the absence of standing committees of the National Assembly that would interface with labour, Senate President, David Mark and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal may anchor the parley before handing over to an ad-hoc committee, it was learnt yesterday.
The meeting is against the backdrop of a two-week ultimatum handed down by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to embark on a nationwide industrial action.
Workers had threatened to ground the economy unless state governors agree to pay the national minimum wage of N18, 000.
NLC President Abdulwaheed Omar and Peter Esele, TUC president general vowed to resist any move by government to deduct arbitrary tax from workers’ salaries.
Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma-Egba confirmed the intervention of the National Assembly leadership but declined to disclose when the meeting would hold.
But a ranking Senator privy to the meeting expressed surprise that state governors could do a u-turn on the agreement to pay the new minimum wage.
He, however, insisted that state governors were bound by the new law.
“The position of some state governors is surprising but we know it’s an economic issue. State governors have since ratified the decision of the National Economic Council. We all know that state governors are members of this body. They took a joint decision; so why the turnaround now?
“Well, they can’t back out now. The new minimum wage is already an Act; it’s already a law that they must obey. They have to pay.”
On November 25, 2010, the NEC met in Abuja and approved the monthly minimum wage of N18, 000 for workers in the country.
All federal, state and local government agencies were expected to pay the wage while only private organizations with more than 50 staff would be affected.
The NEC is the umbrella body of the governors of the 36 states of the federation and the federal economic team.
An amendment of section one of the National Minimum Wage Act stipulates that, “it shall be the duty of every employer to pay a wage not less than the national minimum wage of N18, 000 per month to every worker under his establishment.”
The Act had also provided for a revised national minimum wage and also provided for a realistic penalty regime for violations of the provisions of the Act.
It was also a day senators canvassed removal of the minimum wage from the Exclusive Legislative List so that workers all over the federation could enjoy the new minimum wage at the same time.
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