Committee schedules March 7 for public hearing on minimum wage

The Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage has called for the participation of stakeholders in proposing and implementing a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

The Chairman, National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, NSIWC, Ekpo Nta, made this call in a statement on Friday, saying the committee would hold a public hearing on March 7.

DAILY POST reports that retired Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Bukar Aji, is heading the committee, inaugurated by Vice President Kashim Shettima.

The committee’s mandate is to consult all stakeholders on the issue of national minimum wage and consider the wage in the context of the dynamics of the national economy.

It is meant to also recommend a realistic and practical national minimum wage to the government, to ensure that all stakeholders are carried along in its assignment.

The commission chairman said the committee has scheduled public hearings in the six geo-political zones of the country on March 7 at 10 a.m.

“The venue for North-East will be Banquet Hall, Government House, Yola, Adamawa State; North-West Africa House, Government House, Kano; and South-South will be Ibom Hall, IBB Way, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

“For North-Central, it will be held at the Chida Hotel Event Centre, Plot 224, Solomon Lar Way, Utako, Abuja, while that of South East Enugu and South-West – Lagos will be announced in due time.

“We invite the State and Local Governments, labour unions, employers of labour, civil society groups, small and medium enterprises and other stakeholders in the six geo-political zones to attend.

Nta tasked the stakeholders to present memoranda which should include the proposed new national minimum wage per month for workers.

“It should contain a proposed coverage in terms of the number of employees engaged by any agency and the area of economic activity to be excluded, if any.

“It should contain proposals on how to enhance and sustain high productivity in public and private sectors of the economy to sustain the recommendations.

“It should include frequency and mechanism of future reviews; and proposed penalties for contravening the National Minimum Wage Act by individuals or corporate bodies.

“Other recommendations connected with the subject matter considered relevant and critical, will be welcomed,’’ he said.