The director general of Micheal Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies ( MINILS) Ilorin, Kwara State , Comrade Issa Aremu, has commended President Tinubu’s administration for upholding the rights of citizens inclusive of organised labour to freely organise and bargain collectively despite the challenges economic crisis imposes on labour government relations in recent times .
Aremu who spoke with NATIONAL ECONOMY on the 26 years uninterrupted democracy and two years anniversary of Tinubu’s administration, said notwithstanding policy contestations that have trailed reforms resulting in national strikes in some instances, Tinubu’s administration has commendably respected the provisions of ILO conventions with respect to freedom of associations and assembly without intimidation of the trade unions in the face of what he called “avoidable and preventable” national strikes.
He noted 26 years of democratic governance has produced four national minimum wages since 1999 which hitherto were denied during the past discredited military dictatorships.
Aremu therefore hailed the organised labour, employers of labour and the federal government for negotiating in good faith on the 6th national minimum wage in 2024.
He said the most historic of the interventions in the last two years was the enactment of 2024 National Minimum Wage Act of N70,000 after an intense six month long tripartite collective bargaining process between the government, organised labour and employers of labour.
Aremu praised the 10th National Assembly, President Bola Tinubu and minister of Labour, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha for the speedy enactment of the 6th National minimum wage Act.
He restated the preparedness of MINILS to partner with the tripartite stakeholders as the nation prepares for a new minimum wage in 2027.
He commended the state governors and private employers who have paid the minimum wage backed by law while calling on organised labour to put legitimate pressures on states and employers who refuse to pay the legally “permissible least wage precisely because It is illegal.”
Aremu advised the organised labour to continue the engagement through social dialogue and collective bargaining with the government on how to a have wage-job- led economic growth, adding that “the minimum and living wage should be complimented by its minimum productivity and minimum discipline in the public service. “
