Labour Demands Immediate Implementation Of National Minimum Wage Bill

Labour Demands Immediate Implementation Of National Minimum Wage Bill

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Friday commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing into law the new national minimum wage bill of N30,000 for Nigerian workers.

The General Secretary of the Congress, Peter Ozoeson, who commended the president for the action, urged him to ensure the law was immediately implemented.

The Presidency has already said the bill goes into effect immediately.

The NLC statement reads:

“We at the Nigeria Labour Congress wish to express our appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for signing into law the new national minimum wage bill of N30,000.

“We commend Mr. President for doing the needful.

“However, we would use this opportunity to call for immediate implementation of the law, given the fact that this process has dragged on for nearly two years.

“In furtherance of this, we urge employers, particularly federal and state governments, to commence immediate negotiations with the appropriate unions on the impact of the new law on the wage structure with a view to timely and judicious implementation.”

President Buhari signed the bill into law on Thursday in Abuja.

With the presidential assent, the new minimum wage of N30,000 now replaces the previous N18,000.

After signing the Bill, the President challenged the workers to justify the new pay by showing more commitment to their work.

He also enjoined the NLC to show more understanding of the current socio-economic situation in country “by being more committed to their work at whatever level they find themselves”.