The Labour Party (LP) has urged Organised Labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to re-negotiate with the Federal Government on new minimum wage rather than embarking on industrial action.
LP National Publicity Secretary Obiora Ifoh made the plea in Lagos on Monday, June 3, 2024.
He was reacting to the nationwide strike declared by the labour over its demand for a new minimum wage.
Ifoh said the strike was not an option because it would cause more hardship and suffering in the country.
The LP spokesman said: “Our immediate reaction is that the Organised Labour should not throw Nigerians into more hardship.
“Nigerians are already grappling with a lot of challenges and we do not need to exacerbate the situation.
“I think the demand for N494,000 minimum wage is unrealistic. It is really unrealistic.
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“It is a figure that cannot be sustained because it will imply that Nigeria will take all money it has to pay the civil servants.”
Ifoh stressed that the labour should continue to engage the government on a figure that would be acceptable to both parties.
He added: “Negotiation should continue until they get something better.
“Asking Nigerian workers to stay at home will affect everything, including the cost of living and Nigerians cannot afford that now.
“Negotiation is not a one-off thing.
“If the federal government is not willing to go above N60,000 minimum wage, I think that the Organised Labour should work with what is available while it continues to negotiate.
“We know this government has not gotten it right. It is still trying to test the waters.”
The LP spokesperson said the party would not want any action that could further cause hardship in the nation.
Despite earlier pleas by the federal government for consideration, the Organised Labour on Monday commenced an indefinite strike to push for a new minimum wage for workers.
The industrial action followed a series of unsuccessful negotiations involving NLC, TUC, and government representatives.
Representatives of labour had on May 28 walked out of the tripartite committee meeting on minimum wage after the government increased its offer from N57,000 to N60,000.
It would be recalledthat the government and the private sector initially proposed N48,000, then N54,000 and N57,000, which were all rejected by labour.
The Organised Labour had also proposed N615,000 as new minimum wage, but later came down to N497,000 and then to N494,000, to reflect the current rising cost of living.
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