The Minister
of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige, has said that the Organised Labour cannot fix a
figure to be paid for Federal Government.
He said this
while calling on Organised Labour to accept the new minimum wage proposal,
considering the capacity and ability of the government and the private sector
to pay.
Ngige made
the call when the new Director-General of Nigeria Employers Consultative
Association, NECA, Timothy Olawale, visited his office on Friday in Abuja
The Minister
had earlier, while labour leaders were threatening to call out workers for full
strike over the minimum wage issue, said that the Federal Government had
offered to pay N24, 000 to the workers.
But, the
workers’ leaders countered, saying that N30, 000 was the amount agreed on by
the committee saddled with the responsibility.
Ngige
pointed out to NECA DG that it was imperative for organised labour to accept
the proposed figure instead of the N30, 000 in line with social dialogue and
the overall interest of the nation.
“We need to
arrive at a figure, which the employers can afford to pay as an employee cannot
fix a figure for the employer.
“Rather, it
must be based on collective bargaining and mutual agreement by the tripartite
partners.
“It is not a
function of moving motions or voting at the National Tripartite Negotiation Committee
to insist that the figure must be as the organised labour appears to make it
look.
“There is,
therefore, absolutely no need to heat up the polity,” he said.
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