TheCable

Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment, says the implementation of the new minimum wage will begin in the third quarter of 2018.

Ngige made this known while speaking at the 40th-anniversary celebration of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC( in Abuja on Monday.

He said the negotiation committee for the new minimum wage for workers has received memoranda from all the stakeholders involved in the process.

“Well, we all know the economic situation of the country as of today. The negotiation committee has members from all the tripartite bodies, which means the government cannot force its way,” he said.

“The committee has received memoranda from all the critical stakeholders and should begin the implementation of a new minimum wage in the third quarter of this year.”

The 30-man committee is headed by Ama Pepple, a former head of service of the federation.

The federal government had earlier said that it would prepare a supplementary budget to accommodate the costs of increased salaries when the new minimum wage is approved.

In his address at the anniversary celebration, Ayuba Wabba, NLC president, said the union will resist the antics of those working against the realisation of the new minimum wage.

In October 2017, members of the house of representatives had called for a review of the national minimum wage, which is N18,000.

The current minimum wage came into effect in 2011.

The NLC has since made a proposal that the minimum wage be revised upwards to  N56,000.