INDICATIONS have emerged that the clamour for upward review of new national minimum wage by organized labour, may be long in coming, as there is no provision for it in the Federal Government budget proposal now before the National Assembly.
Organised labour had since May 2016, sent a proposal for a N52, 000 monthly National Minimum Wage, NMW, to the government .
President Muhammadu Buhari presenting the 2017 Budget before a joint session of the National Assembly on Wednesday, December 14, 2016.
Reacting to the development, National Union of Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria, NUTGTWN, through its President and General Secretary, John Adaji and Issa Aremu, respectively, said the non provision for new minimum wage was a critical missing link in the 2017 budget proposal.
While applauding the over N7 trillion 2017 Federal Government budget focusing on reflating the economy through import substitution and patronage of made in Nigeria goods, the union called for immediate constitution of a tripartite committee by government to agree on a new minimum wage, after which a supplementary budget should be sent to the National Assembly for its implementation.
