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The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has temporarily halted the proposal for a new minimum wage to allow President Bola Tinubu to consult with state governors and the private sector.
Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information, shared this update with State House correspondents on Tuesday, June 25, following the FEC meeting.
Idris clarified that the final decision on the national minimum wage will have far-reaching implications, affecting not only the federal government but also the states, local government areas, and the private sector.
He reiterated that President Tinubu is committed to making a well-informed decision, a decision that will be the result of extensive consultations and the inclusion of input from all relevant stakeholders.
“That memo was stepped down to enable Mr President to consult further, especially with the state governors and the organised private sector, before an executive bill is presented to the national assembly.
“So I want to state that on the new national minimum wage, Mr President is going to consult further so that he can have an informed position because the new national minimum wage, as I said, is not just an issue of the federal government.
“It affects the state governments, local governments, the organised private sector. That is why it is called the national minimum wage. It’s not just an affair of the federal government.
“So, Mr President has studied the report, and he is going to consult wider before a final submission is made to the national assembly,” the minister said.
Organised labour slams FEC’s decision
Meanwhile, organised labour has protested the FEC’s decision to withdraw the minimum wage memo.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) spokesperson, Benson Upah, said the decision would “create room for injurious speculations.”
When asked whether postponing the review of the minimum wage memo was a waste of time, he replied, “Definitely, stepping down the minimum wage memo does not bode well with or for us. It creates room for injurious speculations.”
Tommy Etim, the Deputy National President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), mentioned that he anticipated the President would clarify the ‘grey areas’ before sending the executive bill on the new minimum wage to the National Assembly.
“I want to believe that the government is very conscious of the grey areas which organised labour has pointed at, especially the amount to be accepted by every party involved, the frequency of review and criteria for the review and application.
“These, amongst others, are the burning issues which, to the best of my knowledge, need to be addressed before its consideration by FEC to the National Assembly,” he said, according to Punch.