Organised Labour has rejected the proposed ₦62,000 and ₦100,000 minimum wage offers, insisting on ₦250,000 as the minimum wage for Nigerian workers. This announcement follows the latest meeting of the Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage held on Friday, where Labour stood firm on its demand.
Chris Onyeka, an Assistant General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), stated on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief show that the government's offers of ₦62,000 and ₦100,000 were unacceptable. He emphasized that Labour would not negotiate a "starvation wage" and reiterated their demand for ₦250,000 as a living wage for workers.
Regarding the deadline given to the Federal Government, Onyeka stated that if the government and National Assembly fail to act on the demands of workers by Tuesday, June 11, 2024, the NLC and TUC would meet to decide on the resumption of the nationwide industrial action that was temporarily halted last week.
The deadlock over the minimum wage has been ongoing, with Labour initially demanding ₦615,000 and later reducing it to ₦250,000. The government, on the other hand, proposed various amounts ranging from ₦48,000 to ₦60,000, which Labour rejected, leading to the strike action.
While the government has expressed commitment to a wage above ₦60,000, negotiations have not reached a satisfactory conclusion. Labour insists that the current minimum wage of ₦30,000 is inadequate, especially in light of inflationary pressures and other economic challenges facing workers.
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