The Senate has pledged that the National Minimum Wage Bill would be given a fast-tracked hearing any time it was forwarded to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu for legislative action. The bill would be sent to the federal legislature for legal backing whenever organized labour and the Federal Government conclude negotiations on it.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio gave the assurance at plenary while reacting to news of the suspension of the industrial action embarked upon by NLC and TUC. He appealed to the labour unions to consider all variables surrounding the increment in wages before insisting on a particular amount.
However, the House of Representatives has warned against increasing the minimum wage beyond what the economy could withstand. The spokesman of the House said in a statement said that the call became necessary to avoid inadvertent consequences, like inflation, redundancies, and other adverse economic costs. Rotimi stated, “While the Green Chamber is in full support of the call for improved wages and working conditions, there is great need to exercise caution in increasing the minimum wage beyond what our economy can sustain, to avoid unintended outcomes, such as inflation, layoffs, and other adverse economic consequences. Thus, we restate the importance of approaching this issue from a balanced perspective to ensure long-term stability and prosperity for all Nigerians.”
The House also said it observed with concern the direction of the strike action before its suspension, and what it portended for the future. It decried the shutdown of critical infrastructure, such as the national grid, which it said constituted economic sabotage and was detrimental to the well-being of the country. The lower chamber maintained that those responsible for the actions must be held accountable.
The House stressed that it was important to address persistent misinformation and disinformation propagated by the leadership of organized labour regarding the earnings of lawmakers. It alleged that organized labour had for years contributed to false narratives about the remuneration of members of the National Assembly, exaggerating figures to stoke public resentment and undermine the credibility of the legislature. It said this tactic diverted attention from the core issues at stake and unfairly vilified the institution of the legislature.
That all parties needed to engage in an honest and transparent dialogue rather than resorting to the spread of inaccuracies for political leverage. It explained that contrary to the insinuations of the labour leadership through its social media platforms, the legislature was on the side of Nigerians and would continue to act in the best interest of its constituents and give meaning to its mandate.
