Workers in the food and beverage sector have requested the adoption of reports of previous committees on national minimum wage, saying it will hasten  the passage of the Minimum Wage Bill.

They said the adoption of former  reports would lead to the presentation of positions that would aid the passage of the bill.

The Food, Beverage and Tobacco Senior Staff Association, an affiliate of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, made the request in a congratulatory letter to the Chairman, Technical Advisory Committee of Minimum Wage, Bismarck Rewane.

The association said, “We do appreciate that this appointment is in recognition of your dint of hard work, integrity, capacity, competence, diligence and enviable achievement as an economist and your immense contributions to the improvement of our ailing economy.

“However, going by your achievements as an economist, we are optimistic that your assumption of office as the Chairman of the Technical Advisory Committee would provide an avenue for all the previous committee reports to be adopted so as to present positions that will aid the passage of the Minimum Wage Bill.

“Nevertheless, our congratulatory message would not be complete without reiterating the fact that it is necessary for your committee to take note that the essence of governance is to make life better for the citizens and we believe that an upward review of the national minimum wage of N18, 000 as requested by the organised labour will go a long way to reduce the untold hardship presently facing Nigerian workers.”

FOBTOB noted that the current minimum wage of N18, 000 could not meet the needs of an average Nigerian worker, saying, “The fact that some state governments still owe backlog of salaries and other allowances has further pauperised the affected workers.

“Moreover, the organised labour has pursued this cause with a religious zeal because the minimum wage is the benchmark salary for both the private and public sectors.”

The association added, “Hence, we are not happy with the slow pace at which the implementation is going, considering the rate of inflation that has moved to double digits which is a pointer to the fact that the value of naira has depreciated to the extent that Nigerian workers cannot afford the essentials of life.

“In view of the above, it is our hope that you will use your new appointment to strengthen our relationship with the government while looking forward to a quick signing into law of the Minimum Wage Bill by the President.”