FG sets up committee to review pump price, minimum wage

The federal government has set up a committee to  review the new pump price of petrol and the national minimum wage.

The committee, which will work with the Joe Ajaero-led faction of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), will also look into the current N18,000 minimum wage.

The decisions were reached at the end of the two-day meeting which government had with labour leaders after the union threatened to embark on an indefinite.

The meeting ended in stalemate on Monday.

However, the faction of NLC led by Ayuba Wabba has vowed to go ahead with the proposed strike despite a court ruling which restrained the union from embarking on industrial action.

The faction said its protest in the federal capital territory (FCT) will kick at the union secretariat by 8am on Wednesday.

Benson Upah, the union’s head of information, had told TheCable that: “‎NLC’s position has not shifted. The strike will go on tomorrow.”

When asked if he could be quoted, he said: “Quote me the strike will go on tomorrow.”

The labour leaders are obviously divided, as Ajaero’s faction has distanced itself from the protest.

Addressing reporters in Abuja, Ajaero, who alleged that the rival group had “wrong motives”, said his faction will not take part in the exercise.

He also accused the Wabba faction of asking the government to write off the loan the group collected in 2012 to purchase vehicles.

“When you are asking that the N2bn loan given to you in 2012, which had not been paid back should be written off, we believe that the action has already been sold out before it takes off,” he said.

“We have condemned the increase and called for negotiation and reversal. It was on the basis of our calls that this meeting was summoned for us to meet and find the way forward.

“If we wanted to be serious about an action, you can’t call for an action on Wednesday. It is only an action that is sold out that is called for Wednesday so that by Friday, you say you have strike lethargy and call it off.”

Earlier, Babatunde Adejumo, president of the National Industrial Court, had ordered NLC to suspend action.

The judge gave the ruling following a suit filed by Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF).

Adejumo ordered parties to maintain the status quo until the hearing and determination of the exparte motion.

He also directed the government to dialogue with the NLC towards an amicable resolution of the dispute.