In a recent announcement, the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, shed light on the expected timeline for the commencement of payments for the new minimum wage under the administration of President Bola Tinubu. Ajaero revealed that the NLC anticipates the initiation of the new wage structure by March 2024.
Addressing the media on Thursday, Ajaero emphasized that the existing minimum wage is set to expire in March of this year. Labor leaders are hopeful that the federal government will conclude negotiations on the new wage before this deadline.
The NLC president detailed the proactive steps taken by the congress, indicating that they had submitted the names of their representatives to the government last year. This was done to facilitate the constitution of the minimum wage committee, paving the way for substantive negotiations.
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NLC President Reads:
“The Federal Government had, through a letter, asked the organized labor to release our names to the new minimum wage committee to be constituted. Since last year, the list was submitted to the government, and it is only when the committee is constituted that we now go into negotiation with the government as a union to agree on it,” Ajaero explained.
He emphasized that with the existing minimum wage expiring in March, the timely constitution of the committee is crucial for earnest negotiations. Ajaero expressed optimism, stating, “The existing minimum wage will be expiring by March this year, so it is hoped we may conclude the negotiation for a new minimum wage before March.”
Ajaero also touched upon the current progress regarding the wage award announced for Nigerian workers following the fuel subsidy removal. According to him, the federal government has disbursed only one month of the wage award, with the arrears expected to be released by the end of January.
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“All should be released to the workers by the end of this year January,” Ajaero affirmed.
As anticipation builds for the implementation of a new minimum wage, stakeholders will be closely monitoring developments in the coming months, especially in the negotiation process between the NLC and the government.
