Senate commends Labour for ending strike, pledges swift passage of Minimum Wage Bill

The Senate on Tuesday commended the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress for suspending its industrial action.

The lawmakers also promised to consider and pass the new Minimum Wage Bill without delay.

Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, made these statements during plenary in Abuja.

Akpabio said, “I want to thank the Nigerian Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress for listening to the voice of Nigerians and the international community by calling off the strike to enable negotiations to continue and we wish them well in the negotiations.

“On our part, we will continue to do our best by making contributions and at the same time awaiting the incoming Bill on Minimum Wage for us to enact for the benefit of all Nigerians.”

Speaking on the minimum wage issue, Akpabio said, “There are many variables that they will look at – capacity to pay and the ability of states, local governments and private sector to even pay.

“They will also be looking at the fact that if the minimum wage is too high, then the possibility of retrenchment of workers will occur and I think they will do comparative analysis to know that the last minimum wage which was fixed at N30,000.00 by this parliament as an Act of the National Assembly, how many states were able to pay? How many local governments were able to pay? How many employers were able to pay?

“We’ll be looking at those things because it’s important that holistic approach be looked at and I have taken the suggestion that we should not rest until we arrive at an amicable resolution of the issue and that the National Assembly should also continue to make its own contributions towards the ongoing negotiations,” the Senate President emphasized.