The Federal Government failed in its move on Sunday to press Organised Labour to shield its planned nationwide indefinite strike slated to commence on Tuesday, November 6.
Leaders of labour unions, who have vowed not to enter into any negotiation with the government on a minimum wage for workers, ignored a meeting called by the Federal Government in Abuja on Sunday.
Meanwhile, some government officials and members of the organised private sector met behind closed doors at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Boss Mustapha; Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige; Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, and some permanent secretaries.
The SGF, who spoke before the meeting entered into a closed session, said that there was an indication that the tripartite committee on national minimum wage set up by the Federal Government would be finalising works on its report on Monday.
According to him government was waiting for the report to commence processes leading to the enactment of a law on the new minimum wage.
He said that the report would still go through the National Economic Council (NEC) and the Council of State before an Executive Bill would be sent to the National Assembly on the issue. He added that the outstanding issues left for the committee were to harmonise the 15th chapter of the report, harmonise figures and submit report to the President.
“I assure you that the government is waiting for the report and will immediately set up processes required for implementation. Hopefully, their work would be concluded when they meet tomorrow (Monday) and append their signatures to the report.
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“They will then transmit to me and I will seek an audience with the President to present it to him. The report will go through NEC, Council of State before a draft executive bill will be sent to NASS. I am awaiting the report of the committee. They will meet tomorrow (Monday) at 11am,” he said.
Noting that the capacity to pay was important in taking a decision on the minimum wage, the SGF said that a lot of states were still finding it difficult to pay the current minimum wage of N18, 000.
The development came as Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) was said to have earlier on Sunday said it would no longer enter into any negotiation with the government on a minimum wage for workers and insisted that workers would commence a nationwide strike on Tuesday as scheduled.