NLC Tasks FG On New Wage Implementation

The leadership of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Rivers State has called on the Presidential Committee on the review of the new minimum wage to expedite action on the conclusion and recommendation of the committee’s report for early implementation.
Speaking to The Tide correspondent in Port Harcourt last Wednesday in Port Harcourt, the Congress Chairperson, Comrade Beatrice Itubo said the leadership of the organised labour was worried over the unnecessary delay by the committee on the early conclusion of its report and submission of whatever recommendation to the Federal Government.
Itubo said Nigerian workers were passing through excruciating pains and hardship as their present salary structure was nothing to write home about.
She stressed that the value of the nation’s currency has depreciated without the workers having value for their monthly emoluements and take home packages.
The labour chairperson called on the Federal Government to prevail on the committee to conclude its report on time in the overall interest of the workers and the nation, rather than play politics with the workers’ new minimum wage.
She explained that the present salary package of the workers cannot sustain any family in the country, adding that the present minimum wage of N18, 000.00 was a peanut as compared to the minimum wage being paid to workers in other countries.
She added that one dollar today is the equivalent of N360.00 in Nigeria, making the minimum wage of the Nigerian workers far below the United Nations’ recommended minimum wage standards.
She appealed to the private sector employers to adjust and fashion better wages for their employees with a view to improving their welfare.
It would be recalled that the federal government recently set up the Ms Ama Pepple Minimum Wage Review Committee.

Philip Okparaji