Having related with dozen of Ministers of Labour in the past three decades plus in the labour movement, I bear witness that Senator Chris Ngige, stands out among the best for his statesmanship in upholding the cherished core values of tripartism, Decent work, workers rights that Nigeria signed into as a long standing member of International Labour Organization ( ILO). ILO Membership is in itself a national heritage since 1960, on attaining independence.
The country has commendably ratified 40 international labour Conventions compared to United States which has ratified only 14 of 189 ILO Conventions despite being member of the executive body ILO Governing Body. ILO Convention 28, the Minimum Wage Fixing Machinery Convention of 1928 (No.26) and the Minimum Wage Fixing Convention of 1970 (No131) are notable conventions with Nigeria’s signature.
The conventions provided international biding framework for the first national Minimum Wage in 1981 as demanded for by NLC’s Chatter of Demands initiated by the founding leadership of NLC led by Alhaji Hassan Sunmonu. Since 1981 there had been significant four reviews of National Minimum Wage: 1990 (N250 per month), 2000 (N5,500 per month, 7,500 for Federal employees, N6000 for Delta and Rivers states), 2011 ( N18,000) and 2018 (N30,000). Thanks to organized Labour’s demand in the wake of rising inflation and income poverty.
While many enlightened employers in private and public sectors uphold minimum wage principle, regrettably the notable gain of Nigeria’s working class has come under varying attacks in recent times by some few governors who often claim inability to pay negotiated rate. Ironically minimum wage negotiation process is inclusive of governors. I recall that at the height of the negotiation for the latest minimum wage in 2018, Abdulaziz Yari, then chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), reportedly claimed said governors’ “lack of capacity to pay it”.
The received wisdom had if there is the will, there would always be some ways. Many governors like Abdulaziz Yari feigning inability to pay minimum wage paradoxically exhibited enormous will to seek “ways” and “means” to finance and refinance serial televised primary and indirect political party primaries. Governors’ Forum under Yari had scandalously proposed N20000.
Many thanks to President Buhari for signing the minimum wage bill into law despite some governors’ pressures. Like President Muhammadu Buhari, former President Goodluck Jonathan also demonstrated uncommon statesmanship and resisted the pressures of Governors Forum under Rotimi Amaechi not to sign N18,000 minimum wage Act of 2011.
However the most unhelpful, uninformed and controversial attack on the principle of National Minimum Wage lies in the recent private member bill sponsored by Hon. Garba Datti Mohammed representing Sabon Gari Federal Constituency in Kaduna State.
The bill seeks to move minimum wage from Exclusive list to concurrent legislative of the 1999 constitution. Some Governors have even inexplicably and ingeniously argued that the bill was part of a “national restructuring”.
The controversial bill had passed second reading at the House of Representatives before thousands of members of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) marched into the National Assembly to protest against move by lawmakers to remove minimum wage matters from the exclusive legislative list to the concurrent legislative list. It is to the eternal credit of Minister Chris Igige that he rose in defense of the principle of minimum wage as enshrined in 1999 constitution.
Minimum wage: Political bullying is antithetical to democracy, PGF DG tells NLC
Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, at the inaugural meeting of the newly-constituted National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) in Owerri, Imo State capital, reiterated the government’s position in defense of minimum wage on exclusive list based on the need to comply with the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 144 to which Nigeria is a signatory.
Ministry of Labour is the oldest ministry in Nigeria established in 1939, underscoring the fact that British colonialism appreciated the centrality of labour in colonial exploitation and accumulation.
The point cannot be overstated: that Labour Ministry has the final say on labour matters. With his singular Honourable intervention, Minister Igige would be credited with the best labour practice legacies, just like some Labour Ministers who had commendably defended Workers’ rights despite political pressures.
I recall that Dr Emmanuel Udogu was the Labour Minister under General Abubakar Abdulsalam as the military head of state following the death of the maximum military dictator: Sanni Abacha in 1988.
Despite political pressures by some anti-labour forces in Abubakar Abdulsalam military junta to retain obnoxious decrees promoted by his predecessor, Minister Uba Ahmed, Dr Emmanuel Udogu commendably upheld the sanctity of ILO conventions and progressive labour laws Nigeria.
His predecessor, Alhaji Uba Ahmed, the most controversial and partisan Labour Minister inister, had enthusiastically promoted obnoxious Decree No. 4 of 1996 which chose to ‘reinvent’ the country’s trade unions by dubiously redefining union membership through exclusion of so called “non-card-carrying members”.
Uba Ahmed also promoted the notorious decrees 9, 1 0 and 24 which whimsically dissolved the Executive councils of the NLC, NUPENG, PEGASSAN, ASSU and NASU (almost in that order).
Dr Emmanuel Udogu as the Labour Minister engaged with organized labour to repeal these obnoxious and restore trade union independence in line with ILO conventions. History would credit Minister Igige and minister of state, Festus Kyamo that at times like this when national minimum wage principle is under attack, they acted like statesmen to uphold trade union rights.
The point cannot be overstated that Minimum Wage on Exclusive list is a settled national question. Since the second Republic with the enactment of the inaugural Minimum Wage in 1981, only the Federal government through the Ministries Labour and Finance, Bureau of Statistics, has the data to engage organized labour and private sector before arriving at the national minimum to ensure Decent, not slave work and productivity.
All Federations of the world maintain minimum labour, health, safety pension, welfare and financial standards failing which sustainable and harmonious development is impossible. 1999 envisages good governance and welfare of all persons in “consolidating the unity of our people which he says explains while it directs that suitable and adequate shelter, suitable and adequate food, reasonable national minimum living wage, old age care and pensions, and unemployment, sick benefits and welfare of the disabled are provided for all citizens”.
I commend President Muhammadu Buhari for following in the footsteps of Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Musa Yar/ Good Luck Jonathan to increase minimum wage as part of agenda for Decent work, growth and development. Economic recovery would elude Nigerian economy until the country puts an end to persistent crisis of compensation of the working class through enhanced purchasing power which is only possible through prompt and adequate payment of minimum and living wage for the employed workforce.
The key to sustainable development is labour productivity in both public and private sectors which is only possible with motivated paid workers at work and after work through adequate pensions.
Nigeria must remain committed to decent work agenda which include payment of a living wage to all categories of workers in the public and private sectors, as an investment in human capital is an investment nation- building. This is why the inauguration of the newly-constituted National Labour Advisory Council (NLAC) is timely.
It offers another opportunity to revive tripartism and social dialogue on critical labour issues at times like this which throws up covid: 19 pandemic and it’s attendant economic recession.
The rationale for new minimum wage is simple; The ILO (which Nigeria joined at independence) has passed Convention 131 and Recommendation No. 135 1970 ratified by Nigeria show that:– national minimum wage fixing should constitute one element in a national policy designed to overcome poverty and to ensure the satisfactions of the needs of workers and their families.
