Organised Labour Urges Patience Amid Delays in New Minimum Wage Implementation
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Adamawa Joins Seven States with Committees, Completion Expected by Month-End
Organised Labour has urged Nigerians to be patient with both Federal and State Governments due to delays in implementing the new minimum wage. The workers’ union emphasized that it would be unjust to blame the Federal Government for these delays, suggesting no deliberate attempt to avoid the wage increase. Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission, shared this perspective in an interview. President Bola Tinubu signed the new minimum wage into law on July 29 following discussions with the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria.
Only seven states—Kano, Kwara, Ogun, Borno, Jigawa, Ondo, and Abia—have established committees to implement the newly approved N70,000 minimum wage. The remaining states that have not yet formed implementation panels include Plateau, Kebbi, Sokoto, Nasarawa, Bayelsa, Delta, Osun, Ekiti, Zamfara, Benue, Enugu, Taraba, Gombe, Kogi, Adamawa, Niger, Anambra, Imo, Ebonyi, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Katsina, Kaduna, Cross River, and Yobe.
The Adamawa government has now committed to paying the new N70,000 minimum wage, joining the list of states taking action. However, Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku emphasized that there may be minor delays in the wage implementation due to the complexities of the process.
The union leader stated that there is no reason to believe the delays in implementing the new minimum wage are intentional. He explained that while signing the wage is a crucial step, it is only a part of the broader process, the process involves ongoing collaboration with the union which includes “consequential adjustments” involving calculations from level one, step one, up to level 16.
He acknowledged that this process might take some time and emphasized the need for collaboration with the union. He also noted that a dedicated committee is responsible for making these adjustments and expects the process to be completed by the end of the month.
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