Minimum Wage: Presidency Has No Idea Of What To Do – Organised Labour Source

The Organised Labour has urged President Bola Tinubu to consult them before transmitting the proposed bill on the new minimum wage to the National Assembly.

Recall that during his Democracy Day speech,  Tinubu had promised that an executive bill would soon be sent to the National Assembly to formalise the agreement, emphasising his administration’s preference for a democratic approach over dictatorship in dealing with labour matters.

However, almost a month after his speech, the president is yet to keep to his word.

The Union has admitted that the much-anticipated meeting of the National Executive Committee, which will accommodate about 300 Labour leaders, is being stalled by Tinubu’s delay in forwarding the bill.

Speaking to Punch, one of the key leaders of the congress expressed disappointment over the delay.

He stated that the Congress was waiting for the president to make a move.

The source, however expressed doubt that the presidency would consult the congress

According to him, “As things stand, we cannot really do anything until we are aware of what they are trying to do. The delay in sending the bill to the National Assembly is even the reason we have yet to call for our NEC meeting. The President is supposed to decide on the impasse and then forward the bill to them. They need to come up with an official statement before we can decide on what to tell our people.

“If he (Tinubu) singlehandedly takes a decision, you know it can’t be the same as the decision of the National Assembly. He needs to send the bill so the lawmakers can amend whatever he is sending and call for a public hearing. So we are waiting for him to make his move.

“But if he is wise as we believe, he will not make that move without consulting us directly before even sending the bill. If he sends the bill based on the position of his government, it means he has taken sides. The wiser thing is for him to intervene since there is a stalemate with the people he sent to negotiate with us.

“But again, we know the Presidency has no idea of what to do and they don’t consult. You only need to sit with some of these people in government to know they are empty. That is the situation at the moment.”