Minimum wage: Why we’ll present N24,000, N30,000 to Buhari, NASS – Pepple

The tripartite committee set up by federal government to come up with a new national minimum wage for the country said on Monday that it would present two figures to President Muhammadu Buhari and members of the National Assembly.
Chairman of the committee and former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Ms Ama Pepple, who disclosed this in Abuja after over seven hours meeting, said the committee would submit N24,000 proposed by the 36 states of the federation, the federal government and Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA) and the N30,000 demanded by the organised labour. 
The organised labour being represented by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) would today commence an indefinite strike force employers of labour to accept N30,000 as national minimum wage. 
She said while waiting for government’s decision on the report, the committee appealed to labour unions not to go on strike and that they have agreed to consult their members.
Also speaking, Minister of Labour and Employment, Mr. Chris Ngige, said the consensus is for the committee to present the two figures to President Muhammadu Buhari. 
Asked what becomes of the Nigeria Governors Forum’s proposed N22,500, the minister said the governors would go with the federal government’s figure N24,000. 
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mr. Boss Mustapha, was the first to leave the venue of the meeting at about 7:00pm. He declined to talk to journalists, but promise to come back. 
The SGF was followed by Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi state, who also declined to speak on what transpired at the meeting.
Leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) also refused to comment, saying they would reconvene for another meeting 10:00pm.