The Organised Labour has issued a warning to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to ensure that the new minimum wage bill is not transmitted without thorough negotiations. This warning comes as the deadline for the minimum wage negotiations draws near, with the labour unions insisting on a six-digit offer.
The talks between the Federal Government and the Organised Labour broke down last month, with the government and the Organised Private Sector offering N60,000, which was rejected by the labour unions. The labour unions have reduced their demand from N497,000 to N494,000, but the government has maintained its offer of N60,000.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has declared an indefinite nationwide strike starting from June 3, 2024, due to the Federal Government’s refusal to increase the proposed minimum wage above N60,000. The Minister of State for Labour, Nkeiruka Onyecheoja, has urged the Organised Labour to return to the negotiation table, stating that the government is still willing to accommodate them.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has also appealed to the Organised Labour to embrace reasonable and realistic wages for their members. He stated that the Federal Government’s new minimum wage proposal amounts to a 100% increase on the existing minimum wage, while the labour’s demand of N494,000 would cumulatively amount to a N9.5 trillion bill yearly, which could destabilize the economy and jeopardize the welfare of over 200 million Nigerians.
The National Treasurer of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Hakeem Ambali, has urged President Tinubu to personally intervene in the ongoing minimum wage negotiation to avert the strike. Ambali insisted that the offer of N60,000 from the government was unreasonable, considering the current rate of inflation.
