Ime Akpan
The signing of the National Wage Bill into law by President Muhammadu Buhari has elicited a plethora of reactions by individuals and pressure groups.
It would be recalled that the president had, on Thursday, April 18, assented to the bill which now becomes an Act of the National Assembly with effect from that day.
The signing of the bill has thus put to rest several months of controversy trailing the proposal.
Reacting to the development, the senate president, Dr. Bukola Saraki said the reviewed wage, which is aimed at increasing the productivity of Nigerian workers, “is a good step in the right direction.”
The senate president who took to his twitter handle stated: “I congratulate Nigerian workers on the assent of the N30, 000 minimum wage into law.
“This reviewed wage, which is aimed at increasing the productivity of Nigerian workers, is a good step in the right direction for our nation’s workforce — who are the lifeblood of our dear country.”
For his part, the president of Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Bobboi Kaigama, said it was long overdue.
Nevertheless, he said: We want to appreciate Mr. President for assenting to the Bill on the National Minimum Wage. We also want to use this opportunity to congratulate Nigerian workers.
“We also want to use this opportunity to tell the Nigerian workers that the battle for the actualisation of N30, 000 minimum wage is not yet over. We still have to wait for the template to be released by the National Salaries and Wages Commission.
“We want our members to be very calm and await the release of the table and also the consequential increases.”
Shedding more light “battle for the actualisation of N30, 000 minimum wage is not yet over” he said the federal government does not have issue in terms of implementation but “I want to assure you that the states and local governments will have issues on the implementation. That is why I said the battle has started.”
He added: “We will begin to hear from states government how they will announce the implementation and which of the states that will have one obstacle or the other, and we plan how to confront those governments.
“The Nigerian workers also expect that by May they should start enjoying the new wage and I am sure the implementation has started from today and we also start counting the arrears from today (yesterday, Thursday).
He said that as the Workers Day approaches, workers were also expecting the federal government to do the needful as it concerns workers’ welfare.
The head of international at the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr. Uche Ekwe, commended the president for the feat.
“I say that Nigerian workers are happy about the signing into law the national minimum wage and we also hope that the state governors will also do the needful,” he said.
For the director general of the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association (NECA), Mr. Timothy Olawale, signing the new minimum wage into law is an indication of President Buhari’s passion and concern for workers in the country.
Olawale who demanded the implementation of the new wage regime said: “The organised businesses wish to commend the president for attending to the National Minimum Wage Bill as sent by the national assembly.
“It shows that he cares for the welfare of the masses and working class in particular. We believe that the implementation date will be the date of assent.
He said that the minimum wage is not a general salary increase but a wage below which no employer should pay.
He said employers who are already paying above N30, 000 are not obligated to comply while other social partners should respect the understanding so as not to jeopardise the peace in the private sector.
He pledged that organised businesses would be committed to the implementation of the new national minimum wage to ensure industrial harmony and urged employers to take note of the date of implementation and seek further clarification, when in doubt.
