President Bola Tinubu on Thursday explained why he had to intervene in negotiations for a new national minimum wage.
He said he took into consideration the economic hardship facing many Nigerians and the need to provide relief on an urgent basis.
This was outlined in a statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngerale.
The President, who met with leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) at the Presidential Villa, pledged to increase the federal government’s proposed national minimum wage from 62,000 naira to 70,000 naira and to review it in three years instead of five.
According to the statement, President Tinubu told the workers’ party leaders: “I have heard all your presentations, you all came here with the intention of securing something on behalf of your members.
The world is facing tough times. If you look at my record, I have never fallen short in addressing workers’ issues. I belong to you, my people and my leaders. Without you, this work would not be worth it.
“You have challenged the leadership’s thinking and we have reconsidered our position. I have consulted widely and when the tripartite committee submitted its report, we have revisited it and started rethinking it.”
“I made the proposal to you last week because we have a deadline. We know that we have problems and you have problems. We live in the same economy, the same country. We may have different rooms, addresses and houses, but we are part of one family that has to look after each other.
“You have to take into account the parameters of the situation. There are speed limits here and you need to heed traffic warnings. It’s slippery when wet and the road is curvy so be careful to avoid accidents. That’s why I’ve called this meeting today.”
“We are moving this economy forward together. Let’s agree to a three-year review period. Two years is too short. We will approve three years. We will review it.”
“I am going beyond the tripartite committee. We have taken into consideration the review that we have done and we are moving forward. No employee of a federal agency should earn less than N70,000. Therefore, we will set the benchmark at N70,000.”
President Tinubu explained that renewing the hopes of Nigerians required providing infrastructure that would improve the lives of the people and create an inclusive economy in which everyone could participate and benefit.
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He said the government was working to reduce transport costs by introducing buses powered by compressed natural gas, which are cheaper and more efficient. He assured unions that the buses would be deployed across the country.
The President added that the rights of members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Related Institutions (NASU) would also be considered, and called on the Ministries of Finance and Budget and Economic Planning to explore the possibility of clearing the backlog.
The statement noted that at the meeting, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, thanked the President, as a “founding father” for taking the issue into consideration and scheduling two meetings to resolve the initial impasse.
“Mr. President, in the tripartite meeting, in the resolution of the government, private organisations and trade unions, we have all come together as one family to promote and grow our economy, deepen our democracy and benefit all. That is the essence of what we are saying today. We have a President who listens,” the Secretary of State for the Federal Government said.
Chairman of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and Chairman of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, thanked the President for hosting the two meetings on the review of the national minimum wage.
According to the statement, the two union leaders acknowledged that at their last meeting the president had rescheduled his official trip to attend the second meeting.
Labour leaders also expressed gratitude to the President and commended him for his demonstrative commitment to the welfare of Nigerian workers.