Workers Will Be Grateful If You Sign Minimum Wage Bill Immediately, Labour Tells Buhari
– NLC calls for immediate assent to Minimum wage bill
– Union says current N18,000 monthly minimum wage has become inadequate
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the new minimum wage bill.
According to the NLC, since the National Assembly approved the new minimum wage of N30,000 and passed it to the President for his assent nothing had been heard about it.
The union’s Head of Information and Public Affairs, Benson Upah in an interview with Punch on Wednesday said workers would be grateful if Buhari signed the bill this month.
While noting that the President constituted a committee that worked on the figure that was submitted to him and he sent it to the National Assembly as an executive bill which the legislatures had passed and sent back to the President for his assent, he said the NLC has no reason to doubt that the President will not sign it into law.
“We are hoping and waiting for him to do so. If you asked me when he should sign it, I would tell you that it should be immediately. We want him to sign it right away so that by May workers can earn the new salary. They have been waiting anxiously.”
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Similarly, the Trade Union Side wing of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council have also joined the N;C in the call for Buhari to sign the bill.
Abdrafiu Adeniji, the chairman of the union in a statement on Wednesday and the Secretary, Alade Lawal, commended the National Assembly for passing the bill, saying it is now left for the President to sign the bill into law and bring the minimum wage saga to a positive conclusion.
The union pointed that the current N18,000 monthly minimum wage has become inadequate and workers are finding it extremely difficult to cope.
“This underscores the need for the President to sign into law the N30,000.000 National Minimum Wage Bill so the bodies that will work out the consequential adjustments arising from the new wage can be put in place.”
