Just in: Buhari summons emergency FEC meeting on new minimum wage to avert strike

– The meeting is believed to address and resolve issues on the wage structure so as to avert the looming nationwide strike

– Moreover, a source who spoke on condition of anonymity said that the meeting will possibly see to the draft bill on the new wage before passing it to the National Assembly

President Muhammadu Buhari, in an effort to prevent a labour crisis over the new minimum wage, has scheduled a special Federal Executive Council (FEC) for Tuesday, January 15.

The FEC meeting may address the draft bill on the new wage and then be possibly passed to the National Assembly.for approval, The Nation reports.

Earlier, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has said that the presentation of the bill will be the only condition for the prevention of a nationwide industrial action.

A source who spoke on condition of anonymity informed newsmen that “all members of the FEC have been advised to cut short official visits or campaign activities in their states to be at the session.”

As to whether the salaries of workers earning above N30,000 labour’s proposed minimum wage will be get a downward review, the source said: “It is going to be a comprehensive FEC meeting. We will look at all options.”

Still on the possibility of the renegotiation of salaries of workers earning above N30,000, Udoma Udo Udoma, the budget and national planning minister said: “Technical Committee on the Implementation of a new Minimum Wage inaugurated last Wednesday by President Muhammadu Buhari is to, among other things, identify additional sources of revenue.”

Udoma said the panel would assist the federal government on how it can “meet its expenditure on other services, such as education, health, infrastructure and other important functions of government, after paying the increased salaries.”

Akpandem James, a special adviser (media) to the minister, in a statement said: “The committee is to ensure that government can meet the increased costs that will arise from the implementation of a new minimum wage without affecting government’s ability to meet the other obligations of government, particularly with respect to the ambitious infrastructure development plans of the government.

“The committee is expected to, among other things, look at how to get additional revenues so that as our wage bill goes up, we are able to increase our revenues to ensure that our spending on capital projects, our spending on basic infrastructure, our spending on health, our spending on education and others is not reduced.

“In short, the committee is to advise on ways to ensure that notwithstanding the increase in payroll costs, there continues to be adequate funding for other government activities. This is not just for the 2019 fiscal year, but going forward, thereafter.”

Earlier, Tracknews.ng reported that the federal government had announced that the new minimum wage bill would be transmitted to the National Assembly on January 23.

The minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, announced this on Tuesday, January 8. Ngige made this promise during a rescheduled meeting with the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) in order to stop the impending nationwide strike.