Minimum Wage: FG’s position on N24,000 unchanged – Chris Ngige

By KAZEEM OLANREWAJU

The Federal Government during the week faulted the report that a N30,000 minimum wage had been agreed upon as the country’s new national minimum wage.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige said this briefing newsmen at the end of last Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting Wednesday presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Ngige said the Federal Government had not shifted ground on its N24,000 proposal, saying the issue of National minimum wage is a law that is binding on all.

He said the state government, the private sector and the organized labour proposed N20,000, N25,000 and N30,000 as national minimum wage respectively.

The minister added that the federal government would continue to discuss with the organized labour and all other stakeholders informally to arrive at a figure.

“It is not cast in stone that because two sectors have agreed on N30,000, it should be binding on others. The issue of National Minimum wage is a law that is binding on all,” he said.