The Federal Government has once again extended an invitation to organised Labour to continue negotiations on the minimum wage, a source familiar with the matter told our correspondent in Abuja on Wednesday.
The source confirmed that Labour would honour the invitation, stating, “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.”
On Tuesday, the minimum wage committee had adjourned indefinitely after talks between the Federal Government and organised Labour broke down, with Labour rejecting the Federal Government’s fresh proposal of N60,000, up from the earlier N57,000 offer. During the meeting, Labour also reduced its demand by N3,000, bringing it down to N494,000 from the previous N497,000 proposal.
To expedite the negotiation process, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) gave the committee until the end of the month to conclude talks on a new national minimum wage. This ultimatum will expire on Friday night.
Festus Osifo, the President of the TUC, reiterated the stance of Labour following the breakdown of talks on Tuesday.
“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,” Osifo stated.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, appealed to organised Labour to be considerate and patriotic in their demands during the ongoing negotiation for a new national minimum wage. This appeal was made in a statement signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Olajide Oshundun, in Abuja.
The minister emphasized that the Federal Government has consistently taken steps to secure a fair and realistic wage for Nigerian workers. She urged Labour to acknowledge that the nation’s economy is still recovering from the effects of the pandemic and other economic challenges.
“We appeal to organised labour and, indeed, other relevant stakeholders to be considerate and patriotic in their demands, recognising that our economy is still recovering from the devastating effects of the pandemic and other global economic shocks. We are committed to putting the people first and ensuring that our economic policies benefit all Nigerians, not just a select few,” Onyejeocha said.
The minister also stressed the government’s dedication to prioritising the well-being of citizens and urged all relevant parties to demonstrate patriotism and understanding during this critical period when President Bola Tinubu is working diligently to revitalise the economy. She acknowledged that the economic challenges faced by Nigerians are complex and multifaceted, requiring a collective effort from all stakeholders to overcome them.
She added that the meeting with organised Labour is a significant step in the ongoing efforts to secure a fair and realistic wage for Nigerian workers.
“As a government, we recognise 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,” she said.
Onyejeocha noted that the government’s concession from N57,000 to N60,000 demonstrates its willingness to listen to Labour’s concerns and work towards a mutually beneficial agreement.
A top official of the NLC told our correspondent that organised Labour remains firm on its position that the negotiation on the minimum wage should conclude by Friday.
