NAN- H-34
Committee
Lagos, May 3, 2017 (NAN) The Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA) has advised the Federal Government to urgently constitute a committee on a new National Minimum Wage.
The NECA Director-General, Mr Olusegun Oshinowo, gave the advice in Lagos while reacting to the disruption of the Workers’ Day celebration in Abuja by aggrieved workers.
Workers who gathered at the Eagle Square, Abuja, to celebrate Workers Day, refused to be addressed by some government officials, including the Minister of Labour and Employment , Dr Chris Ngige, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to Oshinowo, the committee should comprise representatives of the Federal Government, state governments, NECA, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC).
He urged that the Federal Government should initiate discussion on a new minimum wage to appease workers.
”The unfortunate incident was needless and avoidable.
“There is an understanding that the National Minimum Wage will be due for discussion after five years.
”In effect, the 2011 agreement should be open for discussion in 2016.
“The government should not have waited for workers’ repeated clamour for discussion before acting,” he said.
The NECA director-general said that minimum wage should be premised on the principle of social dialogue and collective bargaining by the committee members.
“This entails the setting up of a National Minimum Wage Committee comprising representatives of the Federal Government, led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and state governments, represented by state governors.
”The third party comprises employers in the private sector under the umbrella of NECA, and the organised labour as represented by NLC and TUC,” he said.
Oshinowo expressed displeasure at the disruption of the Workers’ Day celebration due to the non-resolution of the minimum wage issue.
Osinowo noted that there was a procedure for discussing minimum wage.
”The issue of procedure should be separated from the substance or subject. The imperative to respect procedure should take precedence over substance.
”It is the responsibility of the committee to sort out the issue of desirability of review or sustenance of status quo in the event that timing for upward review is inappropriate,” Oshinowo said.
He, however, advised that opening a discussion on the minimum wage should not translate into unsustainable wage increase.
According to him, the beauty of collective bargaining is the opportunity of the parties to come to the table with constructive positions and submissions.
”The reasonableness and superior arguments have always carried the day.
“Conclusions on the platform will be to examine the need for or against and justifications for whatever positions are canvassed,” he said. (NAN)
CHIN/IGO
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