Minimum wage: FG Inaugurates Committee to Negotiate Salary Adjustment

• Minimum wage: FG Inaugurates Committee to Negotiate Salary Adjustment

The Federal Government on Tuesday inaugurated the committee to negotiate the consequential adjustment in salaries arising from the new National Minimum Wage with the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita appointed as chairman.

Among the government delegations who were present at the event were the Minister of Health, Prof Isaac Adewole and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige. Labour leaders were also present at the venue of the inauguration.

While inaugurating the committee, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, who is an alternate chairman of the committee, said the committee had four weeks to complete its assignment with the inaugural meeting scheduled to hold on May 20, 2019.

He said, “Let me begin by conveying, the goodwill message of President Muhammadu Buhari , who has, from his first day in office in 2015, expressed deep interest in the welfare of workers and believes that if the government is to succeed in its fight against corruption, the Nigerian workers must be adequately remunerated.

“It is in fulfilment of Mr. President’s commitment to issues concerning the welfare of Nigerian workers that he inaugurated the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage on November 27, 2017.

“The Tripartite Committee no doubt was painstaking in its assignment. Members met with various stakeholders and interest groups, visited every part of the country, holistically considered the state of the economy and finally came up with its recommendation of N30,000 as the new National Minimum Wage.

To further demonstrate Mr. President’s unwavering commitments to the welfare of all Nigerian workers, he signed into law, the new National Minimum Wage bill.”

Mustapha said that members of the committee were painstakingly picked by the government.

Other members are ministers of Labour and Employment, Finance, Budget and National Planning, Health, Education and Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.

The committee also has as members Director General, Budget Office of the Federation, Secretary, Federal Judicial Service Commission, Secretary, National Assembly Service Commission and Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, who will also serve as secretary.