Minimum wage: Labour insists on May 31 deadline, meets FG Tuesday

The Organised Labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has agreed to continue negotiations with the tripartite committee on minimum wage on Tuesday, May 21, 2024.

The unions also insisted they would not shift ground on the May 31st deadline on mobilising workers and the masses to cripple economic activities nationwide, given to the federal government to meet their demands.

It would be recalled that the unionists walked out of their last meeting with the government’s side of the negotiating team, which offered N48,000 as the new minimum wage, against the N615,000 proposed by labour.

NLC President Comrade Joe Ajaero and his TUC counterpart Comrade Festus Osifo in a communique jointly issued after the unions’ National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Monday, said it was unanimously agreed that the government must prioritise the welfare of the citizens who elected them into office by reversing the electricity tariff hike and also agree to a minimum wage that reflects the true value of Nigerian workers’ contributions to national development.

The communique partly read: “The NEC once again vehemently condemns the unilateral increase in electricity tariff by the authorities. This action, taken without due consideration for the economic hardships faced by the masses and the provisions of the Law, is deemed unjust and burdensome.

‘Insult to workers’: NLC, TUC reject FG’s N48,000 proposed minimum wage

“The NEC reaffirms its demands for an immediate reversal of the tariff hike and the vexatious apartheid categorization into Bands to alleviate the suffering of Nigerian workers and citizens and gives the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the federal government until the last day of May 2024 to meet these demands.

“The NEC acknowledges the ongoing negotiations between the NLC/TUC, the Organised Private Sector (OPS) and the federal government regarding the new national minimum wage. While appreciating the efforts made thus far, the NEC emphasizes the urgency of reaching a fair and equitable agreement that reflects the true value of Nigerian workers’ contributions to the nation’s development and the current crisis of survival facing Nigerians as a result of government’s policies.

“The NEC affirms its commitment to ensuring that the interests and welfare of workers are adequately protected in the negotiation process.

“The NEC-in-session therefore reiterates the ultimatum issued by the NLC and TUC to the federal government, which expires on the last day of this month. It emphasizes the non-negotiable nature of the demands put forth by Nigerian workers and urges the government to prioritize the resolution of these issues in the best interest of industrial peace.

“NEC-in-session further directed all state Councils whose state Governments are yet to fully implement the N30,000 National Minimum Wage and its consequential adjustments to issue immediately a joint two-week ultimatum to the culpable state governments to avert industrial action.”

The Star