FG, Labour Unions to Resume Minimum Wage Talks Friday

Nkeiruka Onyejeocha

FG invites labour unions to continue discussions on the minimum wage on Friday.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) comprise organized labour.

The source stated that Labour would accept the Federal Government's invitation.

“A letter has been addressed to Labour by the committee chairman and signed by the NSIWC chairman. The meeting is scheduled for Friday.

“Of course, Labour will attend. If they present a better offer on Friday we will accept it.”

Following the collapse of negotiations between organized labour and the federal government, the minimum wage committee on Tuesday, May 28, was postponed indefinitely. The Federal Government's new proposal, which was N60,000 instead of the previous N57,000, was rejected by Labour.

Labour also reduced their demand during the meeting, bringing the revised proposal down from N497,000 to N494,000 (the amount it had suggested last week).

The NLC and the TUC gave the committee till the end of the month to wrap up negotiations on a new national minimum wage in order to expedite the negotiation process.

Festus Osifo, the TUC president, stated that the combined union's ultimatum was still in effect after the discussions broke on Tuesday.

Osifo said: “We have an ultimatum on May Day that if by May end, we don't have a new minimum wage that will take a worker home, we will not be able to guarantee industrial peace.

“We are sticking to that ultimatum.”

A new national minimum wage is now being negotiated, and in the meanwhile, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, the minister of state for labour and employment, has urged organized labour to be thoughtful and patriotic in their demands.

Onyejeocha pleaded in a statement on Wednesday, May 29, in Abuja, which was signed by Olajide Oshundun, the ministry's director of press and public relations.

The minister stated that efforts to ensure that Nigerian workers receive a reasonable and equitable salary have been continuously made by the Federal Government.

Consequently, she called on labor to acknowledge that the country's economy was still recovering from the effects of the pandemic and other economic hardships.

She said: “We are committed to putting the people first and ensuring that our economic policies benefit all Nigerians, not just a select few.

“The government remains dedicated to prioritising the well-being of our citizens and it wants to urge all relevant parties to demonstrate patriotism and understanding.

“This is particularly during this critical period when President Bola Tinubu, is working diligently to revitalize the economy.”

As a result, the minister stated that the government acknowledged the complexity and diversity of the economic difficulties that Nigerians faced and that overcoming them would require the cooperation of all parties involved.

The meeting with organized labor, she continued, was an important step in the continuous efforts to guarantee Nigerian workers a reasonable and fair wage.

She said: “As a government, we recognize the importance of ensuring that our citizens receive a decent standard of living wage, and we are committed to making this a reality.

“After hours of intense negotiations, labour leaders took a recess to consult with other key stakeholders and have pledged to return to the negotiating table for further discussion.

“We welcome this development and are optimistic that our continued engagement will yield a positive outcome.

“In the light of the current economic conditions, we have made a concessionary move from N57,000 to N60,000.”

She stated that the rise showed the government's readiness to pay attention to labor issues and strive toward a win-win accord.