Buhari set to review Minimum Wage, increase workers salary

President Muhammadu Buhari appears set to review the Minimum Wage and increase the salary of workers in relation to the high inflation in the country.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, at the public presentation of the NLC of 40 publications titled, “Contemporary History of Working Class Struggles” in Abuja on Monday, said that the Federal Government is very much aware that the N30,000 National Minimum Wage has depreciated, and that there is need for salary review.

Ngige had said: “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, we shall adjust in conformation with what is happening in wages.

“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 government has started the adjustment with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).”

Ngige clarified that it is not the Federal Government that took ASUU to court over the ongoing strike of the university teachers.  The minister, however, admitted referring the matter to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) after seven months of discussions and negotiations with the ASUU failed.

Ngige noted that ASUU was at the stage of Collective Bargaining (CBA) negotiation with the Federal Ministry of Education, their employer, when they began strike.

Ngige stated: “there are laws guiding strike. There are ILO principles on right to strike. Nobody can take it away.

“But there are things that follow it when you embark on strike as a worker and they are enshrined in the laws of our land.

“It is written in Trade Dispute Act. The ILO principles of strike talks about the right of a worker to withdraw services. There is also right to picket. These are things that are done.

” Nigeria is respected in ILO. Some people said Federal Government took ASUU to court. No. I referred the matter after seven months of protracted discussions and negotiations that failed.”