Employers with less than 25 workers exempt from payment of N30,000 minimum wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared that the new minimum wage recently signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari, was binding on all employers of labour in the country except employers whose workers are less than 25 persons.

NLC President, Ayuba Wabba, said this while appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s Sunrise

He said, “Going forward, it is actually the implementation by employers of labour. All employers of labour, except those that are exempted, particularly those that are employing less than 25.

“So clearly in the implementation, what is expected now is for the Salaries and Wages Commission to issue a guideline and circular how various employers of labour can then key into the implementation,” he stated.

Wabba decried the varying salary structure of the public and civil service, calling for a guide to harmonized the system.

He called for an increase in the payment of pensions and gratuity to retired Nigerian workers, while citing the law.

“It (minimum wage) goes side by side with pensions. The Constitution says anytime there is an increase in the minimum wage, automatically pensioners should also benefit.

“We have as at today some pensioners receiving as low as N5,000 monthly pension. Certainly, we know that nobody can live these days on N5,000.”