The Nigerian Governors Discussion board (NGF) has rejected the proposed N60,000 minimal wage for Nigerian staff, stating that it’s too excessive, not unsustainable and doubtlessly detrimental to state economies.
The announcement got here in an announcement issued on Friday by the Director of Media and Public Affairs for NGF, Halimah Salihu Ahmed.
The governors expressed issues that implementing the N60,000 minimal wage would power many states to allocate their total Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funds to salaries, leaving no sources for growth initiatives.
It cautioned events on this essential dialogue to look past simply signing a doc for the sake of it; any settlement to be signed must be sustainable and practical.
“The Nigeria Governors’ Discussion board is in settlement {that a} new minimal wage is due. The Discussion board additionally sympathises with labour unions of their push for increased wages,” the assertion learn.
“Nevertheless, the Discussion board urges all events to contemplate the truth that the minimal wage negotiations additionally contain consequential changes throughout all cadres, together with pensioners. The NGF cautions events on this essential dialogue to look past simply signing a doc for the sake of it; any settlement to be signed must be sustainable and practical.
“All issues thought of, the NGF holds that the N60,000 minimal wage proposal shouldn’t be sustainable and can’t fly. It would merely imply that many states will spend all their FAAC allocations on simply paying salaries, with nothing left for growth functions. Actually, just a few states will find yourself borrowing to pay staff each month. We don’t suppose this might be within the collective curiosity of the nation, together with staff.”
The governor, nonetheless, urged all events concerned within the negotiation course of, notably the labour unions, to take note of all socioeconomic variables and accept an settlement that’s sustainable, sturdy, and honest to all different segments of society who’ve a reliable declare to public sources.
The stance taken by the governors follows the organized labor’s demand for a minimal wage increased than the N60,000 proposed by the tripartite committee.
The labor unions, together with the TUC and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), had just lately suspended their industrial motion, which commenced on Monday, after reaching a preliminary settlement with the Federal Authorities.
The federal government assured that President Bola Tinubu is dedicated to a minimal wage exceeding the preliminary N60,000 provide.