The National Assembly is about to approve a minimum wage raise of N70,000, which will be more than the N62,000 that the federal government had suggested.
There are compelling signs that a compromise agreement of N70,000 may be reached in the current negotiations over the minimum wage between organized labor, the federal government, state governments, and local governments.
Thisday was informed by an insider that President Bola Tinubu will still present an executive bill to the National Assembly early next week, given the tripartite committee’s recommendation of a minimum wage of N62,000.
However, the National Assembly may accept more than what the president provided it, as it did in 2019.
According to a tripartite committee member who spoke to THISDAY under anonymity, Tinubu has finished his plans to submit the compromise minimum wage of N62,0000; however, the National Assembly may decide to raise it to N70,000 in response to their own suggestions.
The source explained, “This was exactly the situation that played out in 2018 and 2019. The federal government sent a minimum wage bill recommending a minimum wage of N23,000, but the National Assembly increased it to N30,000.
“This scenario will play out when the National Assembly gets the minimum wage bill any moment from now. The role to be played by the National Assembly is one of, ‘we feel your pains and therefore considering the economic realities, we are increasing the minimum wage to N70,000’.
“Though some states will still insist that they cannot pay, the federal government will persuade the states to pay and where necessary give the states a bailout that will encourage them commence payment, in the first instance.”
THISDAY has learned that the fact that Edo State has already begun to pay the N70,000 minimum wage has prompted the leaders of the National Assembly and the federal government’s negotiating team to take this stance.
It was also learned that some of the governors were pushing for a new income sharing arrangement as part of this settlement, which would allow them to pay the new minimum wage as well as any ensuing modifications.
About two weeks prior, the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) had emphasized that the N60,000 minimum salary was unsustainable.
NGF stated that it agreed that a new minimum wage was necessary and that it supported labor unions’ efforts to raise wages.
The forum, according to Hajiya Halimah Salihu Ahmed, acting director of media and public affairs for the NGF, asked all parties to take into account that the minimum wage talks also involved significant modifications for all cadres, including pensioners.
NGF advised participants in the crucial conversation to think beyond merely signing a paper for its own sake, stressing that any agreement to be struck should be realistic and long-lasting.
