The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, Thursday stated that the federal government would have to lay off workers to be able to meet a wage bill of ₦580 billion needed to meet labour’s demand on the new minimum wage.
Ngige told labour leaders in Abuja that the sum was what would be needed by the government to pay the consequential adjustments as demanded by labour.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the minister’s announcement is the latest in the increasing drama over payment of the new wage.
Ngige was speaking when the leadership of the United Labour Congress (ULC), paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
Ngige said that federal government was avoiding a situation where it would have to lay off workers, noting that throwing workers into unemployment would add to their burden.
The minister pleaded with labour to accept the consequential adjustment from levels 7 to 17, adding that government had only three months left to implement the new minimum wage.
He stated that government would not promise labour what it could not pay, noting that no worker deserved to be owed salary.