Nigerian Govt to adjust workers’ wages to meet current realities

The Federal Government of Nigeria says it will adjust workers’ wages to meet the current realities in the economy of the country.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, said this at the public presentation of the NLC at 40 publication titled, “Contemporary History of Working Class Struggles” on Monday in Abuja.

Ngige said that the Federal Government was very much aware that the N30,000 National Minimum Wage had depreciated.

“Yes the inflation has increased worldwide and it is not confined to Nigeria, that is why in many jurisdictions, it is an adjustment of wages right now.

“We as the Nigerian government shall adjust in confirmative with what is happening in wages.

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“More importantly, the 2019 National Minimum Wage Act, right now has a clause for the review, which we started then, I do not know whether it is due next year or 2024.

“But before then, the adjustment of wages will reflect what is happening in the economy, just as the government has started the adjustment with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), ‘’he said.

The minister also explained that the Federal Government did not take ASUU to court over the prolonged strike of the union as some people claimed.

Ngige said he would have failed in his duties if he did not refer the matter to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) after seven months of protracted discussions and negotiations with the union, which failed.

He recalled that ASUU was at the stage of Collective Bargaining(CBA) negotiation with their employers, the Federal Ministry of Education when they embarked on strike.

He regretted that the ASUU leadership did not even understand the import of CBA negotiation because they lacked the nutrients of labour unionism.

(NAN)

Nigerian Govt to adjust workers’ wages to meet current realities