NLC Holds Off on Strike as Minimum Wage Talks Continue

The NLC chief, Ajaero, discusses the minimum wage conflict with the FG; ‘The figures are with the president; we cannot declare a strike at this time.'

NLC suspends strike plans as minimum wage talks continue with FG. President Joe Ajaero says figures are with the President, expressing hope for a positive outcome. He criticizes governors opposing the new minimum wage, citing examples of states successfully implementing higher wages.

Speaking out on the ongoing conflict over the minimum wage between organized labor and the federal government, Joe Ajaero, the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), stated that a strike cannot be called at this time.

The NLC has announced that its planned walkout in support of a higher national minimum wage on Tuesday, June 11, will not take place.

Ajaero made this announcement at the ongoing International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.

“We cannot declare strike now because the figures are with the President.

“During the tenure of the immediate past President, the figure that was proposed to him was N27,000 by the tripartite committee but he increased it to N30,000. We are hopeful that this President will do the right thing. The President had noted that the difference between N62,000 and N250,000 is a wide gulf.

“How can any governor say he cannot pay? They cannot also be calling for the decentralization of the minimum wage.

“Are there wages decentralized? Governors whose states are not contributing a dime to the national purse and who generate pitiable Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, are collecting the same amount as governors whose states are generating billions of dollars into the FAAC.

“They should decentralize their salaries and emoluments first.

“So, where is the governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki getting his money from? He is paying N70,000 minimum wage. This is the type of governor that should be emulated and not the lazy ones.”