By Tochukwu Bliss, Abuja
The Federal Government yesterday appealed to organised to be considerate and patriotic in their demands in the ongoing negotiation for a new national minimum wage. The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, made the appeal in a statement signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Olajide Oshundun.
The appeal comes against the backdrop of Tuesday’s rejection of a ₦60,000 new minimum wage offer made at the resumption of negotiations at the Tripartite Committee meeting, comprising representatives of the Federal Government, the Organised Private Sector (OPS), and organised labour.
Labour representatives – the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), again turned down the proposal, an increase of just N3,000 from last week’s submission of ₦57,000 made during the Tripartite Committee for the negotiation of a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
Reports said that while the Federal Government raised its offer, labour also reciprocated by reducing its demand from ₦497,000 to ₦494,000.
This rejection was for the third consecutive time, and the meeting ended in deadlock as with the previous two.
At the commencement of negotiations on a new minimum wage by the Tripartite Committee, the Federal Government and the OPS had proposed ₦48,000, and later raised it to ₦54,000 last week, and again to ₦60,000 on Tuesday.
The unions on the other hand, had presented a ₦615,000 demand on the table, and went down to ₦497,000 last week as negotiations resumed, and further down to ₦494,000 on Tuesday.
Upon walking out on the meeting, and accusing the negotiators of lack of seriousness, labour insisted that there is no going back on the May 31 deadline for the government to start paying the new minimum wage or face a nationwide industrial action.
Commenting on labour’s stance, the TUC President, Festus Osifo, in an interview with Channels Television’s Politics Today, said: “The government must be very serious in addressing the issue of a new minimum wage.”
He argued that the new proposal in not in sync with current economic realities given that Nigeria’s inflation rate of 33.69% as of April 2024, based on data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Accordingly, Mr. Osifo said: “…we completely reject it. We want the government to be serious. Let them come and give us a breakdown of how a family is going to live with the minimum wage of ₦60,000.
“Remember, our ultimatum still subsists that we have issued on May 1st and today is the 28th day of May. So, what that clearly means is that we still have three days to resolve this matter.”
We want the government to be serious. Let them come and give us a breakdown of how a family is going to live with the minimum wage of ₦60,000.
Realistic wage
In her appeal however, the Minister said the federal government has been consistent in taking steps to secure a fair and realistic wage for Nigeria workers, and urged labour to recognise that the economy is still on a growth trajectory.
Mrs. Onyejeocha continued: “We appeal to organised labour and indeed, other relevant stakeholders to be considerate and patriotic in their demands, recognizing 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.
“The government remains dedicated to prioritising the wellbeing of our citizens and I want to urge all relevant parties to demonstrate patriotism and understanding.
“This is particularly during this critical period when the President, Bola Tinubu, is working diligently to revitalise the economy.”
She added that “As a government, we recognise the importance of ensuring that our citizens receive a decent standard of living, 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.
“In light of the current economic conditions, we have made a concessionary move from ₦57,000 to ₦60,000.”
Further encouraging labour to demonstrate goodwill and work towards a mutually beneficial agreement, she added: “We understand that the current economic landscape is challenging, and we are doing everything in our power to mitigate its effects on our citizens.
“This is the path that this government has chosen to pursue, and we will not deviate or stray from the course.
“President Tinubu has been tireless in his efforts to revitalise the economy and improve the standard of living for all Nigerians.
“His commitment to creating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and reducing poverty is genuine, and we appeal to all to support him in this endeavour.
“As we move forward, we will continue to engage with organised labour and other stakeholders to ensure that our economic policies are inclusive and beneficial to all.”
