Organized labour has announced plans for an emergency meeting to determine their next course of action after the national minimum wage tripartite committee submitted its report to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
This was disclosed by Benson Upah, spokesperson for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), in an exclusive telephone interview with DAILY POST on Monday.
Upah indicated that the outcome of the meeting would decide if organized labour will resume its strike action in the near future.
“The appropriate organs of the two unions will meet, and once they do, whatever decision they make will be communicated to the public,” he stated. However, he did not specify the exact date for the meeting.
The federal government has offered a minimum wage of N62,000 following the tripartite committee’s meeting on Monday, while organized labour has insisted on a minimum wage of N250,000. The report also includes proposals of N57,000 and N62,000 from state governors and the organized private sector, respectively.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) confirmed receiving the tripartite committee report on Monday. The focus now shifts to President Tinubu, who is expected to act on the report and submit an executive bill on the minimum wage to the National Assembly ahead of Nigeria’s Democracy Day celebrations on June 12.
In a related development, NLC President Joe Ajaero, speaking at the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, ruled out the resumption of the strike on Tuesday.
He noted that organized labour is awaiting President Tinubu’s decision on the committee’s report. “We are waiting for the decision of the President. Our National Executive Council (NEC) will deliberate on the new figure when it is out,” Ajaero said.
The NLC had previously suspended an indefinite strike last Monday, which had disrupted the country’s economy for a week. The federal government’s initial offer of N60,000 was rejected by organized labour, with the new offer of N62,000 being only N2,000 higher. Ajaero highlighted the significant disparity between the N62,000 offer and labour’s proposed minimum wage of N250,000.
