Tripartite committee on minimum wage submits report to Akume

The tripartite committee set up by the federal government to review the minimum wage for workers has submitted its report to George Akume, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF).

A statement issued on Monday by Segun Imohiosen, director of information and public relations in the office of the SGF, said a formal presentation of the report will be made to President Bola Tinubu soon.

Imohiosen said a formal presentation of the report will also be made to representatives of organised labour and the private sector, who are currently at the ongoing International Labour Organisation (ILO) conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

The SGF commended Bukar Goni Aji, chairman of the committee, for his commitment to the assignment.

In January, the federal government inaugurated a 37-member tripartite committee on the national minimum wage.

The committee was tasked with the responsibility of recommending a new national minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

Over the past few months, the federal and state governments, organised labour and representatives of the private sector have been deliberating on a new minimum wage for workers.

However, the demand by organised labour regarding the minimum wage is yet to be met.

On June 3, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) embarked on an indefinite nationwide strike to protest against the federal government’s inability to meet their minimum wage demand.

Twenty-four hours later, the labour unions “relaxed” the strike by one week.

The unions had repeatedly proposed N615,500 and N494,000 as the new minimum wage, which the federal government said was unrealistic.

On June 7, the federal government increased its offer for the new minimum wage from N60,000 to N62,000, while the labour unions insisted on N250,000.