The Federal Government and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) have set up a 16-man committee to work out palliative measures and fashion out a new minimum wage that will cushion the effects of the increase in the pump price of petrol.
The NLC had announced the suspension of its strike to demand for reversal of pump price per litre from N145 to N86.50 with a resolve to enter into negotiation with the Federal Government on the review of minimum wage for workers, electricity tariff and the constitution of the Board of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency.
The Federal Government on Wednesday met some of the demands of the NLC by announcing the appointment of Alhaji Mohammed Buba as the Chairman of the board of the PPPRA and agreed in conjunction with labour to set up the minimum wage committee.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir David Lawal, who made the announcement after the meeting held in his office with the Ayuba Wabba faction of the NLC, said President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the appointment and the setting up of the committee.
The board of the PPPRA which has the statutory role of determining and fixing the prices of petroleum products has not been constituted for over four years.
The SGF said that the 16-man committee would look into the various issues that emanated from the hike in the price of petrol such as the minimum wage, implementation of the N500bn palliative in the 2016 budget as well as the review of the pump price.
Lawal said, “…This (Wednesday) evening, I’m proud to announce that, first of all, a 16-man committee has been set up as a technical committee. It’s half from the labour side and half from the government side to discuss issues concerning the minimum wage…
“The minimum wage involves almost every segment of the society, so it’s not just the Federal Government and workers alone, but all stakeholders, the local governments, the private sector. So, this technical committee will discuss the modalities on how this issue would be brought forward.
“Secondly, we have agreed that the 16-man committee will look at the issues of implementation and allocation of resources of that palliative, the half a trillion naira palliative. The committee is supposed to work and bring its report to the committee of the whole within two weeks of its inauguration.”
Also speaking, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, stressed that the review of the minimum wage was a tripartite negotiation arrangement.
He explained that the 16-man committee was expected to work out the framework to constitute the tripartite committee for the minimum wage review. – Punch.
NLC are just hiding behind one finger,they conspired with Buhari to increase fuel price.They supported him during the election and while the ground work for the increment was going on by not supplying fuel they kept quiet.
They were only acting the usual Oshiomole script of make noise and posture to collect money then call off the strike the 3rd Day as if they have done so much.We are all in it together,those in govt today will be out tomorrow and with their children we shall all be in it.This rutherless Govt said they will end fuel importation in 2019 as if their tenure will extend beyond 2019.If they will still import fuel till 2019 what are they doing differently.Someone should tell me any new innovation this idiotic Govt has initiated.
-EFCC,ICPC,CCB,CCT were all created by PDP GOvt.
-TSA-Treasury Single account was created during GEJ Regime.
-Fuel Importation was successfully done in PDP Govt
-Salaries of workers were paid as at when do for FG,State and private sector but today people do not know when the next salary will come,in all sectors.
– Fg office of statistics said over 53,500 jobs has been lost since May 29,2015
-African Largest Economy was achieved in PDP Govt of Jonathan
Per capital income and better standard of living were achieved in PDP Govt.
Someone must tell me why we brought armaggedon unto poor Nigerians and working class in the name of evil change.