Labour urges Buhari to sign minimum wage bill immediately

The Nigeria Labour Congress on Wednesday urged President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the new minimum wage bill.

The NLC said  since the National Assembly approved the new minimum wage of N30,000 and passed it to the President for his assent nothing had been heard about it.

The union’s Head of Information and Public Affairs, Benson Upah, who spoke to our correspondent on the issue, said  workers would be grateful if Buhari signed the bill  this month.

He said, “The President constituted a committee that worked on the figure that was submitted to him and he sent it to the National Assembly as an executive bill. Similarly, the National Assembly legislated on it and sent back to the President for  his assent.

“We have no reason to doubt that the President will not sign it into law; his body language does not suggest that he will not sign it.

“We are hoping and waiting for him to do so. If you asked me when he should sign it, I would  tell you that  it should be  immediately. We want him to sign it right away so that by May workers can earn the new salary. They have been waiting anxiously.”

The Trade Union Side wing of the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council also  called on Buhari to  sign the bill.

In a statement on Wednesday by the Chairman of the union, Abdrafiu Adeniji, and the Secretary, Alade Lawal, the TUS commended the National Assembly  for passing the bill.

The statement said, “The tripartite committee on the minimum wage and the National Assembly have  done a good job by approving N30,000 as the national minimum wage and accordingly deserve commendation.

“It is now left for the President to sign the bill into law and bring the minimum wage saga to a positive conclusion.

“The current N18,000 monthly minimum wage has become inadequate and workers are finding it extremely difficult to cope. This underscores the need   for   the President to sign into law the N30,000.000 National Minimum Wage Bill so the  bodies that will work out the consequential adjustments arising from the new wage can be put in place.”