Organised Labour has urged Nigerians to be patient with the Federal and State Governments regarding the delay in implementing the new minimum wage.
The Deputy President of Nigeria Labour Congress Political Commission, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, stated this in an interview, saying it would be unfair to conclude that there was a deliberate attempt to avoid paying the new minimum wage.
Ndubuaku said: “We have no reason to suspect that (deliberate delay). In a real sense, signing the wage is just a small component of the main activity. There is something we call consequential adjustment. That involves the calculation of the minimum wage from level one, step one. From there, we will move from stage one to 13 all the way to level 16.”
He added: “So it is something that may take some time. Again, they are not going to compile them alone. There are templates for compiling it. But they must also carry us along. I believe you are aware there is a committee that is supposed to carry out the necessary adjustments. We expect it should be completed before the end of the month.”
Only seven states have set up implementation committees for the new minimum wage, while only Lagos and Edo have started paying it. Adamawa has also joined the list of states willing to pay the new wage. Ndubuaku expressed optimism that the process may be concluded by the end of August.
