The Organised Labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has once again rejected the Federal Government’s proposal for a new minimum wage.
The latest offer of ₦60,000 was deemed insufficient by the labour unions, who have revised their demand to ₦494,000.
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A member of the Tripartite Committee, responsible for negotiating a new minimum wage, disclosed that the government and the Organised Private Sector (OPS) suggested a ₦60,000 monthly minimum wage, an increase from their previous offer of ₦57,000.
However, this proposal, like the initial ₦48,000 and ₦54,000 offers, was swiftly rejected by the labour unions.
The labour unions had initially demanded ₦615,000 but lowered their request to ₦497,000 last week and then to ₦494,000 during Tuesday’s negotiations.
Despite these adjustments, today’s meeting concluded without reaching an agreement.
The Tripartite Committee is under pressure to finalize the new minimum wage by May 31, the deadline set by the labour unions.
The unions argue that the current minimum wage of ₦30,000 is inadequate to support the average Nigerian worker and noted that not all governors are complying with this wage, which expired in April 2024, five years after the Minimum Wage Act of 2019 was signed.
NLC President Joe Ajaero criticized the government’s proposals as insufficient.
“It is still not substantial compared to what we need to sustain a family,” he stated, emphasizing that the economic situation for workers is dire.
Ajaero highlighted the disparity between the economy of the wealthy and that of the workers, calling for a harmonization to find a common ground.
The ongoing deadlock highlights the significant gap between the government’s offers and the labour unions’ demands, reflecting the broader economic challenges facing Nigerian workers.
