After several weeks of rigorous deliberations on the Tripartite Committee’s report on the proposed N30,000 minimum wage between government representatives and labour leaders, the Federal Government on Tuesday announced its readiness to transmit the New National Minimum Wage Bill to the National Assembly not later than January 23rd.

The decision to transmit the bill to the Legislature  was sequel to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Federal Government and the organised labour groups in Abuja.

Corroborating the minister’s stance on the minimum wage issue, the
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Ayuba Wabba, described the planned transmission of the proposed bill to the
National Assembly as a desirable step towards moving the country forward.

Wabba explained the leadership of the labour groups expected that the bill would be considered by the lawmakers expeditiously, signed into law and fully implemented in the interest of workers and the country.

Meanwhile in furtherance of its earlier plan to sensitise workers on
the minimum wage issue through peaceful protests nationwide, the NLC and other trade unions carried out the planned protests in major
cities on Tuesday to pressurize the Federal and State Governments to adopt the proposed new minimum wage of N30,000.

Our correspondent noted that the workers protested in Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, Rivers, Kano and Bayelsa states, amongst others to support the unions’ demand for the implementation of the new minimum wage.

The labour groups cautioned state governments on the need for them to comply with the new national minimum wage when passed into law or risk a nationwide workers strike.

The old national minimum wage, which is due for review after over 10
years of implementation, currently stands at N18,000.

If the proposed N30,000 minimum wage bill becomes enacted into law, it will represent a 67 percent increase over the current minimum wage.