Minimum Wage: NLC kicks as Buhari suggests review of N30,000 minimum wage proposal

Budget Proposal

Earlier in his presentation, President Buhari said government proposed an estimated expenditure of N8.83 trillion for 2019, including grants and donor funds of N209.92 billion.

He said as part of the recurrent expenditure, personnel costs would gulp an estimated N2.29 trillion, nearly about 40 per cent of projected revenues.

He said substantial savings is expected from wider use of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) platform. He said ministries, department, and agencies (MDAs) have been directed to implement the IPPIS latest by March 2019.

According to the president, provisions have been made for staff promotion arrears and recruitments by the armed forces, police and para-military agencies during the year.

Besides, he said, the government has equally provided for the settlement of inherited outstanding pension liabilities, while one per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund (N51.22 billion) has been earmarked for the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and other related commitments.

A breakdown of the proposal shows about N4.04 trillion will go for recurrent costs; debt service (N2.14 trillion); statutory transfers (N492.36 billion); Sinking Fund (N120 billion) to be used to retire maturing bond to local contractors; and Capital Expenditure of N2.031 trillion.

The NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos shortly after watching the budget presentation by President Buhari that his group would not be party to any technical committee to review the N30,000 minimum wage.

“We cannot accept the use of any technical committee to look into the already agreed N30,000 minimum wage,” Mr Ayuba said.

“The president promised to pass the report to lawmakers a week after it was presented to him. Once the tripartite committee has met and agreed on an amount, no other committee can meet on the same issue,’’ Mr Wabba said.

He said with organised labour scheduled to meet next week to take a final decision on the issue, there was no going back on the agreement.

On his part, the president of the United Labour Congress (ULC), Joe Ajaero, also kicked against the proposed technical committee. He said the tripartite committee had considered the ability of governments to pay the N30,000 before agreeing on it.

“We (Labour) have resolved to fight for the new minimum wage even after the upcoming general election. There would be no retreat or surrender until workers receive the wage,” Mr Ajaero said.