The Trade Union Congress, TUC, has condemned the comment by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, that a new minimum wage will be selectively implemented.
TUC warned Nigerian government that the move would be as retrogressive, describing it as unacceptable.
Osinbajo had disclosed that the administration was considering increasing the remuneration package, especially bonuses of certain government agencies, instead of reviewing wages across board.
He spoke during a session titled, “Conversation with the Vice-President” at the 2017 Nigerian Bar Association National Conference held in Lagos last Monday.”
“I think that what we are probably going to end up doing is what we have done with some of the parastatals; in other words, identifying certain government services that must be remunerated differently in order to increase efficiency”, he said.
Reacting, TUC President, Mr. Bobboi Bala-Kaigama, said: “NEC-in-session kicks against it and demands that the minimum wage implementation should be holistic and not selective. Minimum wage is for all and remains and should remain in the exclusive list.
“Furthermore, we condemn the delay to constitute the 29-member committee for National Minimum Wage for the country months after it was announced.
“We call on the Federal Government not to task the patience of workers beyond limit as the current wage structure is no longer tenable, when viewed against the economic realities on ground.”
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has submitted the names of its nominees for the 29 man-committee for the negotiation of the new National Minimum Wage.
It would be recalled that the Federal Executive Council had on May 25 approved the constitution of the National Minimum Wage Committee to kick-start the process of negotiations for new wage for workers.
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