Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2008, published 98th ILC session (2009)

Minimum Wage Fixing Convention, 1970 (No. 131) - Niger (Ratification: 1980)

Articles 2 and 3 of the Convention. Minimum wage level. The Committee has been drawing the Government’s attention for many years to the need to readjust the level of the guaranteed minimum interoccupational wage (SMIG) which has not been increased since 1980. In this connection, the Committee notes with interest the adoption of Decree No. 2006-058/PRN/MFP/T of 8 March 2006 setting the SMIG monthly rate at 20,000 Communauté Financière Africaine francs (XOF) (approximately US$40). It also notes the adoption of Decree No. 2006-059/PRN/MFP/T of 8 March 2006 which fixes minimum wage rates by branch of economic activity and occupational category for those workers covered by the interprofessional collective agreement. Recalling that in an earlier report the Government had indicated that the determination of the SMIG level is based on a basket of essential consumer goods, the Committee would appreciate receiving full particulars on the surveys of national economic conditions, the cost-of-living index, or other similar indicators, which were used for the readjustment of the minimum wage. In addition, the Committee requests the Government to provide some indication as to whether the SMIG’s current level may be considered to be adequate to cover the basic subsistence needs of workers and ensure a decent standard of living for them and their families.

Article 4(2). Full consultations with the social partners. Moreover, the Committee recalls that the Convention requires full, genuine and effective consultations with representative organizations of employers and workers at all stages of the minimum wage fixing process. Based on the information provided by the Government in its report, however, it is unclear whether the tripartite Labour Consultative Committee referred to in section 153 of the Labour Code has been involved in the process of reviewing the guaranteed minimum interoccupational wage. The Committee therefore requests the Government to supply additional information on the institutional framework within which consultations with the social partners were held regarding the revaluation of the SMIG, and any provision which may have already been made for future discussions on this subject. The Committee would also appreciate receiving a copy of the Protocol of Agreement of 16 September 2005 to which reference was made in the Government’s report.

Article 5 of the Convention and Part V of the report form. Enforcement measures. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would make an effort to collect and transmit in future reports up to date information on the practical application of the Convention, including for instance the approximate number of workers remunerated at the minimum wage rate, statistics on labour inspection results or other enforcement measures concerning minimum wages, official documents or studies on minimum wage policy, such as activity reports of the Labour Consultative Committee, etc.