By: Adeyemi Lahanmi.
After staging a walkout by the Organised Labour made up of the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress during the last meeting with the Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage after the proposed N48,000 minimum wage by the Federal Government, it has been revealed that the government has now upped it to N54,000.
An impeccable source within the meeting currently ongoing disclosed this to our correspondent.
“The Federal Government has now proposed the sum of N54,000,” the source revealed.
While it is certain Labour would not accept the offer which is a far cry from the N615,000 put on the table by the organized Labour, there is a hope that a resolution can be reached as soon as possible. This is because Labour has given the federal government May 31st deadline to meet with their demands.
According to reports, the ongoing negotiations on the new minimum wage has been adjourned till Wednesday after the organised labour rejected the new N54,000 minimum wage proposal by the Federal Government, a highly reliable source who attended the meeting told our correspondent on Wednesday.
It was stated that the government is not showing signs of seriousness as regards the situation. According to a Labour leader, “No seriousness at all. Even state governors did not show up. Those who represented them, like Bauchi and Niger states, did not have the mandates to speak on their behalf.
“Well, during the meeting, the government increased its offer from N48,000 to N54,000. However, labour rejected that offer and the meeting has been adjourned till Wednesday,” a source who preferred to remain anonymous said.
“As regards the private sector, we did not get to them before the meeting was adjourned but we hope they also increase their initial offer.”
Organised labour on Monday reiterated its May 31, 2024 deadline for the implementation of the new minimum wage.
The National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, is still insisting on N615,000 minimum wage, arguing that the amount was arrived at after an analysis of the current economic situation and the needs of an average Nigerian family of six.
He blamed the government and the Organised Private Sector for the breakdown in negotiation, saying, “Despite earnest efforts to reach an equitable agreement, the less than reasonable action of the Government and the Organised Private Sector has led to a breakdown in negotiations.”
In a statement released at the end of the jointly held NEC meeting by the NLC and TUC which was signed by Joe Ajaero, NLC president and Festus Osifo, TUC president, the unions said they acknowledge the ongoing negotiations between the NLC/TUC, the Organised Private Sector and the Federal Government regarding the new national minimum wage.
They further stated there is the need to reach a fair and balanced agreement that reflects the current realities of the present time.
