JUST IN: FG Gives Update On New Minimum Wage Implementation

The Federal Government will, on Tuesday in Abuja, inaugurate the N30,000 new national minimum wage implementation committee, almost one month after President Muhammadu Buhari signed the bill into law. Dr Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment said this while fielding questions on television concerning the time for payment of the new wage. Ngige did not state when government would start payment but said that arrears would be paid anytime implementation of the new wage began. He said there were still processes and procedures the new wage would undergo before the commencement of its implementation, even though it had been passed and signed into law. “It is a whole process and the salary and wages commission will do its job before implementation,” the minister said. He said that the committee was made of seven ministers with the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs Winifred Oyo-Ita as Chairman. The minister said that those at the lowest cadre of employment whether in the public or private sector would earn N30,000 as the law provided. He said however, for the cadre of workers already earning above the minimum wage, there would be consequential adjustment from the top. Ngige added that the relevant agency of government would soon issue a circular on the expected adjustments. Meanwhile, Mr Ayuba Wabba, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), had expressed worry over the delay in the commencement of the implementation of the new wage.