By Bimbola Oyesola
The expectation of Nigerian workers to get a new wage soon may not be a reality in spite of the inauguration of the committee as the Nigeria Employers Consultative Association (NECA), said fixing the new minimum wage will not be easy.
The employers body has equally disclosed that trends from 1981 national minimum wage meetings will determine the amount of the new minimum wage.
The Director General of NECA, Segun Osinowo, who is also a member of the new wage committee inaugurated by the Federal Government two weeks ago, said the present dynamics are so complex that the outcome cannot be known as it is going to be a long process of different discussions.
Speaking recently at a press briefing held by the Organised Private Sector (OPS) on the need to avoid costly mistakes on the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB), Osinowo said negotiations for a new minimum wage was a familiar terrain to the OPS, but expressed fear that state governors might back out and deny being involved in the negotiations as was done at the last minimum wage meeting in 2010.
He said: “OPS believes in the rule of law, principles and sanctity of agreement which the Federal Government also subscribes to by setting up the committee which is set up to accommodate all stakeholders including the governors from the six geopolitical zones.
“We pray that history does not repeat itself where the governors will claim not to be involved in the negotiations as they should participate now and influence others”. On the ease of doing business in the country championed by the FG,he said reality is different from statistics as statistics show improvements while the reality on ground is that manufacturers are groaning and suffering.
Meanwhile, the Organised Private Sector (OPS) has called on the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to the problem of bad access roads to Apapa ports in Lagos which its said is affecting the cost of businesses in the country.