Garba Shehu: FG has agreed to reconvene meeting on minimum wage

Garba Shehu, senior special adviser to the president on media and publicity, on Friday met with Ayuba Wabba, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

The presidential aide, who issued a statement after the visit, said the federal government was taking steps to get the unions to call off the strike.

Shehu said the federal government has accepted labour’s demands to reconvene the tripartite meeting on the proposed new national minimum wage.

He said: “The presidency on Friday stepped up efforts to convince labour unions in the country to call off their strike following the earlier meeting at which the government accepted their demand to reconvene the tripartite meeting on the proposed new national minimum wage.”

Shehu said the meeting between the labour leaders and the representatives of the employers of labour had been scheduled to reconvene on October 4.

He said: “By its tripartite nature, the committee is made up of persons from the public sector, (federal and state governments) and the private sector made up of the largest private employer group and the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA).

“Other members include the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) and Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMES).”

Shehu stated that invitation letters had since been dispatched to all the participants.

He said: “At the moment, the presidency understands that the combined leadership of the unions, having met and deliberated on the position of the government had now set in motion a process of consultations with their constituent members to determine their next line of action.

“The presidency wishes to assure that the federal government is taking every step necessary to get the unions to call off the strike.”