In a bid to address the persistent national minimum wage problem, former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, has called for the decentralization of minimum wage negotiations.
This statement was made by Fayemi, who also serves as Chair of the Governors’ Forum on Channels Television’s Politics Today program, Friday.
“Every governor must address the issue of the national minimum wage. When I was governor and chair of the governor’s forum, and I believed even up until the recent negotiations, we should decentralize the minimum wage negotiations and allow the states to do their own negotiations with their own unions while the Federal Government does its own negotiations because its fingers are out the same,” said Fayemi.
He suggested that states be allowed to negotiate with their individual unions, separate from the federal government’s negotiations, saying that this approach, he said, would recognize the diversity of states’ economic conditions and capacities.
READ ALSO:Governor says proposed N60K minimum wage is unsustainable
The former governor’s suggestion comes as the country grapples with the challenge of implementing a uniform national minimum wage, given the varying economic realities of different states. Fayemi’s advocacy of decentralized negotiations is in line with the idea that “both hands are not equal,” implying that a universal approach may not be the most effective solution.
This proposal has sparked debate regarding the feasibility and potential implications of decentralizing minimum wage negotiations. While some argue that this could result in more tailored and realistic wage agreements, others are concerned that this could exacerbate income disparities between states.
As the national minimum wage conundrum continues, Fayemi’s suggestions add a new dimension to the discussion, prompting a re-evaluation of the current framework and its potential for reform.
The post Former Governor Fayemi says states should negotiate minimum wages they can afford appeared first on Latest Nigerian News | Top News from Ripples Nigeria.
