BY DAMOLA EMMANUEL
The sabre rattling between the federal government and organised labour quietened Monday night sequel to the meeting of Tripartite Committee on national minimum wage and the signing of the final report recommending N30,000 as the new national minimum wage, .
To put a seal on the deal, President Muhammad Buhari will receive the report from the committee at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa on Tuesday at 4.15p.m.
The deal effectively sounds the death knell on the general strike planned by organised labour that would have commenced Tuesday, nationwide. Had the strike gone ahead, it would have paralysed Nigeria’s struggling economy.
The Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, has an estimated four million members and it’s affiliated to the International Trade Union Confederation, ITUC. Happily, the proposed strike was called off Monday night following the deal.
Dr. Peter I. Ozo-Eson, General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, conveyed the news of the rapprochement to his comrades via a memo he released after the signing of the report last night.
“Comrades,” Ozo-Eson begins in the memo, “please note that there are still several bridges to cross before the new minimum wage becomes law. It is our collective commitment and dedication that has made the progress so far possible.
“We need to stand ready in a state of full mobilization in case future action becomes necessary to push for the timely enactment and implementation of the new minimum wage.”
Indeed, it is still a long way to tread before the new minimum wage would come into force. After submitting the resolution to the president, it would be passed to the Federal Executive Council, FEC, then to the National Economic Council, NEC, and later the National Council of State.
These done, the President would then initiate an Executive Bill that would be transmitted to the National Assembly.
