Renowned Human Rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has suggested that the National Assembly could resolve the deadlock between the Federal Government and the Organized Labour over the new minimum wage saga by promptly passing a new National Minimum Wage Act, similar to how it swiftly enacted the National Anthem Act last week.
Falana spoke during a meeting between the leadership of the National Assembly, the delegation of the Federal Government, and the leadership of Organized Labour on Sunday, June 2, 2024.
He emphasised that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) calling for an indefinite nationwide strike was due to the Federal Government’s failure to implement a realistic and livable new minimum wage.
He pointed out that the expiration of the National Minimum Wage Act 2019 in April makes a long-overdue review necessary and imperative.
Falana specifically highlighted that Section 3(4) of the Act, which states that the national minimum wage expires after five years, should have been reviewed by the National Assembly in accordance with the Act’s provisions without needing external prompting.
According to him, “the current national minimum wage of N30,000, which was fixed in 2019 is no longer tenable. The Federal Government’s proposed wage award of N48,000 is inadequate and not in tandem with reality.”
However, the popular Lawyer said that some State governments, specifically Edo and Lagos, had already announced higher minimum wage of N70,000 per month.
Therefore, Falana urged the National Assembly to act promptly, similar to its approach with the National Anthem Act, in passing a new National Minimum Wage Act that aligns with the current economic conditions and fulfills the needs of Nigerian workers.