The Association of Local Governments of Nigeria has lamented that several local governments are yet to implement the national minimum wage agreed upon by the government and organised labour.
The body warned defaulting LGs to desist from such acts and pay LG workers the agreed national wage.
ALGON President, Alhaji Maifata Mu’azu, alleged that, to date, some local governments still find it difficult to pay the former minimum wage of N18,000, which had since 2019 been changed to N30,000 by the Federal Government.
He warned that, once the new minimum wage regime begins after government approval, there should be no excuse by the LGs not to pay their workers the agreed wage.
This comes at a time when the country is working on a new minimum wage for its workers.
It could be recalled that organised labour has insisted that the living wage should be N615,000 per month which the Federal Government is yet to agree to this, as the National Minimum Wage sub-committees are still consulting.
President Bola Tinubu had on Workers’ Day also promised, through the Minister of State, Labour, and Employment, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, a fair wage for the workers and added that the new minimum wage would take effect from May 1, 2024, irrespective of when the committee completes its job.