The Nigerian Senate has vowed to expedite the consideration and passage of a new Minimum Wage Bill following the suspension of a nationwide strike by organized labour.
This comes after the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) agreed to a five-day suspension of their strike to allow for uninterrupted negotiations with the tripartite committee on the new minimum wage.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, commended the labor unions for suspending the strike during a plenary session in Abuja. He acknowledged a motion previously submitted by Senator Diket Plang, urging the suspension, but ultimately decided to wait for the outcome of the negotiations.
Akpabio highlighted the complexities involved in setting a new minimum wage. He emphasized the need to consider the capacity of states, local governments, and the private sector to afford the increase. He also cautioned against setting a wage too high, which could lead to job cuts.
The Senate President underscored the importance of a comprehensive approach, analyzing the effectiveness of the previous N30,000 minimum wage set by the National Assembly. He expressed a desire to learn how many states, local governments, and employers were able to meet that previous standard.
“They will also be looking at the fact that if the minimum wage is too high, then the possibility of retrenchment of workers will occur and I think they will do comparative analysis to know that the last minimum wage which was fixed at N30,000.00 by this parliament as an Act of the National Assembly, how many states were able to pay? How many local governments were able to pay? How many employers were able to pay?
Akpabio reiterated the Senate’s commitment to the ongoing negotiations and expressed gratitude to the labor unions for prioritizing continued dialogue. He assured them that the Senate would contribute positively and expedite the approval process once the Minimum Wage Bill is formally submitted.
“On that note, I want to thank the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress for listening to the voice of Nigerians and the international community by calling off the strike to enable negotiations to continue and we wish them well in the negotiation, Akpabio stated.
