Governors make U-turn, agree to pay N22, 500 as Minimum Wage
Thirty-six states governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) on Tuesday night stated that they could only increase workers salary in their states from N18,000 to N22, 500 per month.
But the stance of the governors was contrary to the demand of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress that the minimum wage must be increased to N30,000.
The Federal Government had earlier offered to pay N24, 000 as minimum wage.
Labour had declared that it would order workers to go on strike as November 6, 2019, if the government refused to take a decisive action on its demand.
But the threat of the workers was believed to have made the governors to convene an emergency meeting in Abuja on Tuesday.
The governors meeting was attended by the Ministers of Labour and Productivity and that of National Planning, Senator Chris Ngige and Senator Udoma Udoma, respectively.
Briefing journalists over the outcome of the meeting in Abuja, the Chairman of the NGF and Zamfara State Governor, Mr. Abdulaziz Yari, said that the welfare of all Nigerians was the ultimate concern to the governors.
He said: “Following a meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum where we deliberated on the National Minimum Wage after a briefing from our representatives at the Tripartite Committee, we submit as follows:
“The welfare of all Nigerians is our ultimate concern. In all our states, we are concerned about the deteriorating economic situation experienced by the vulnerable segment of our population.
“In agreeing to a National Minimum Wage, however, the Forum is even more concerned about development, particularly in the health, education and infrastructure spheres.
“It is, therefore, our considered position that since the percentage of salaried workers is not more than five per cent of the total working population, our position must not just reflect a figure, but also a sustainable strategy based on ability and capacity to pay, as well as reflective of all our developmental needs in each state.
“Afterall, Section 3 of the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission Act provides that ‘the Commission shall recommend a proposition of income growth which should be initiated for wage increase and
also examined the salary structure in public and private sector with reasonable features of relativity and maximum levels which are in consonance with the national economy.
“It is in this sense that we feel strongly that our acceptable minimum wage must be done in such a way that total personnel cost does not exceed 50 per cent of the revenue available to each State. Governors, therefore, agreed to pay a national minimum wage of N22,500.”
