PDP governors: We support labour’s demand for minimum wage increase

Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have thrown their weight behind organised labour’s push for a new national minimum wage.

The PDP governors’ stand is contained in a communiqué issued on Wednesday at the end of their meeting in Enugu.

They said the final agreement on the new minimum wage must be realistic and take into account the capacity of all tiers of government to pay.

The governors said workers’ unions’ demand for a salary increment is “eminently justified” in the face of worsening economic hardship in the country.

“While the Forum fully supports labour’s demand, agreement must take into consideration the ability to pay by the local government, sub-national and federal government,” the communiqué reads.

“While negotiations are ongoing, we appeal for restraint in both utterances and actions that could lead to the complete breakdown of law and order and ultimately, the collapse of the economy.”

THE MINIMUM WAGE SAGA

Over the past few months, labour unions, federal and state governments, and the private sector have been deliberating on a new minimum wage.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) proposed N494,000 as the new minimum wage, citing inflation and the prevailing economic hardship in the country, while rejecting the federal government’s proposed N60,000 offer.

On June 3, the labour unions grounded the nation’s economy over the minimum wage dispute.

On June 7, state governors under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) said a N60,000 minimum wage would be unsustainable.

At the last meeting of the tripartite committee, organised labour rejected the N62,000 proposed by the government and lowered its demand to N250,000.

The federal government had asked the labour unions to demand a more realistic and sustainable wage.

Labour had insisted on a N250,000 minimum wage.

President Bola Tinubu had also directed Wale Edun, minister of finance, to present the cost implications for a new minimum wage.

Mohammed Idris, minister of information and national orientation, said the presentation would form the basis of further negotiations.

On Monday, Idris said an executive bill on the new minimum wage bill will be sent to the national assembly after Tinubu meets with organised labour on Thursday.