The Federal Government has enjoined the Nigeria Labour Congress to discard the December 31 ultimatum issued over lingering disagreement between organised labour and state governments on the proposed N30,000 national minimum wage.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made the appeal after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The organised labour on Thursday gave the ultimatum following Buhari’s statement that a “high powered technical committee” would be set up to devise ways to ensure that implementation of the new minimum wage would not lead to an increase in the level of borrowing.
However, President of the NLC, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, who addressed newsmen on Thursday, expressed organised labour’s reservations over Buhari’s position, saying that setting up a technical committee could not be a condition for passing the minimum wage report to the National Assembly.
“We reject in its entirety the plan to set up another high powered technical committee on the minimum wage. It is diversionary and a delay tactics.”
But, Lai, who described the NLC as “a very patriotic union,” said he was confident the organised labour would not do anything to embarrass the government or Nigerians.
He said: “The Nigeria Labour Congress is a very patriotic union and I am very confident that they will not do anything that will embarrass the government or do anything that is going to worsen the situation.
“Continuous engagement, I think, is the key. We will continue to engage them and I think they do also fully understand what the challenges are, and both parties are determined to ensure that a common ground is arrived at which will be comfortable for all.’’
(NAN)
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