Organized Labour has urged Nigerians to remain patient with both the Federal and State Governments regarding the delay in implementing the new minimum wage.
The workers’ union emphasized that it would be unfair to accuse the Federal Government of deliberately avoiding the payment.
The Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, made this statement in an interview with our correspondent on Monday.
President Bola Tinubu signed the new minimum wage into law on July 29 after meeting with leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria.
It was reported that only seven states—Kano, Kwara, Ogun, Borno, Jigawa, Ondo, and Abia—have set up implementation committees for the recently approved N70,000 minimum wage.
Meanwhile, states like Plateau, Kebbi, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Bayelsa, and others are yet to establish similar panels.
Lagos and Edo have claimed to have already started paying the minimum wage, and Adamawa has also joined the list of states willing to pay the new wage.
Ndubuaku, however, explained that the delay might occur due to the processes involved in implementing the N70,000 wage.
He expressed optimism that the process would be completed by the end of August.
He said, “We have no reason to suspect that (deliberate delay). In a real sense, signing the wage is just a small component of the main activity.
There is something we call consequential adjustment. That involves the calculation of the minimum wage from level one, step one. From there, we will move from stage one to 13 all the way to level 16.
“So it is something that may take some time. Again, they are not going to compile them alone.
There are templates for compiling it.
But they must also carry us along.
I believe you are aware there is a committee that is supposed to carry out the necessary adjustments. We expect it should be completed before the end of the month.”
