Salaries of workers above new minimum wage’ll be renegotiated —Buhari

ABUJA—PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari said, yesterday, that the salaries of workers earning above the new minimum wage will be renegotiated.

He also appointed Bismarck Rewane as head of newly inaugurated Technical Advisory Committee on the implementation of a national minimum wage. President Buhari, who stated this at the inauguration of the technical committee at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa Abuja, said after the new minimum wage had been passed into law, government will go into negotiations for salary review for all the workers already earning above the new minimum wage. 

He said it was important to properly prepare the minds of those involved so that they will not be taken unawares when the time comes. Noting that the last time Nigeria’s national minimum wage was reviewed was in 2011, it was evident that a review was necessary, despite the prevailing fiscal challenges.

 He said:  “This is why I constituted the Tripartite Committee of Government, Organized Private Sector and Labour to consider the National Minimum Wage and make recommendations to Government for its upward review. READ ALSO: Minimum Wage: If I were NLC President “That committee has since submitted its report with some recommendations. We are currently working on the final steps that will lead to the submission of a National Minimum Wage Amendment Bill to the National Assembly. “I want to make it clear that there is no question about whether the national minimum wage will be reviewed upwards. I am committed to a review of the minimum wage. Meeting with state govts “Also, it is important to explain that even though the subject of a national minimum wage is in the Exclusive Legislative List, we have been meeting with the state governors because it is imperative that the Federal Government carries the state governments along in determining any upward review of the minimum wage for workers. “This is especially necessary considering the prevailing public sector revenue challenges, which have made it extremely difficult for some of the governments to pay workers as and when due.

 “As you know we, at the federal level, have made adequate provision for the increase in the minimum wage in our 2019 budget proposals, which we submitted to the National Assembly. Therefore, we will be able to meet the additional costs that will be incurred in moving up all personnel who are currently earning below the new minimum wage. Those earning above new minimum wage “However, we anticipate that after the new minimum wage has been passed into law we will be going into negotiations for salary review for all the workers who are already earning above the new minimum wage. It is, therefore, important that we are properly prepared to meet these demands. 

Avoiding adverse effects “We must therefore look at ways of implementing these consequential wage adjustments in a manner that does not have adverse effects on our national development plans, as laid out in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP). The ERGP sets appropriate targets for levels of Capital Expenditure, Public Debt, Inflation, Employment, etc. It is absolutely important that the implementation of a new minimum wage does not adversely affect these targets, and thereby erode the envisaged gains for the workers. “It is against this background that I have set up a Technical Committee to advise Government on how best to fund, in a sustained manner, the additional costs that will arise from the implementation of the consequential increases in salaries and allowances for workers currently earning above the new minimum wage.”

 Rewane  heads technical c’ttee He explained that the inaugurated technical committee will be chaired by an economist and financial expert, Mr. Bismarck Rewane with other experienced members who are experienced economists and administrators from the private sector working together with all the relevant officials of government.

 The President enumerated terms of reference for the committee which include to develop, and advise government on how to successfully bring about a smooth implementation of impending wage increases and identify new revenue sources, as well as areas of existing expenditure from where some savings could be made in order to fund the wage increases without adversely impacting the nation’s development goals as set out in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan. Others are to “propose a work plan and modalities for the implementation of the salary increases, any other suggestions that will assist in the implementation of this, and future wage increases.

 “Given the urgency of this exercise, the committee is expected to complete its deliberations and submit its report and recommendations within one month today. “It is now my pleasure to formally inaugurate the Technical Advisory Committee on the Implementation of an Increase in the National Minimum Wage.”