The members of the Organized Labour, Organized Private Sector, and the Federal Republic of Nigeria resumed negotiation on the payable national minimum wage but the meeting ended in a stalemate.
The tripartite committee last week went on their different ways because they could not agree on the amount to be paid to Nigerian workers who bore the brunt of the present harsh economic situation in the country.
Unfortunately, the meeting of Tuesday 21 May 2024 did not have the key representatives of the committee, particularly the six governors such as Charles Soludo of Anambra State, representing the South-East, Otu Bassey of Cross River State, representing the South-South, Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, representing the South-West, Mohammed Bago of Niger State, representing the North-Central, Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State, Representing the North-East, and Dikko Radda of Katsina State Representing the North-West.
Negotiation failed when the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Organized Private Sector, made a joint improved offer of 57,000 against the 48,000 she proposed earlier last week. Meanwhile, NLC, also, cut down her 610,000 to 490,000 as the new proposal to be considered.
One of the senior members of the NLC who spoke to Inside Agwa News (IAN), on the condition of anonymity said, “that apart from the inability of these parties to agree on a set amount, the actions of the Nigerian governors through their representatives in the committee who have been serially away from this important committee are unpatriotic and do not show good faith which portrays the governors as the enemy of the Nigerian workers”. He therefore, accused the Federal Government of toiling with the Nigerian workers and their families who relies on the wages of their parents to make good their futures.
The reason for these claims are that the record shows that about 8 state governors out of the 36 are either not implementing the full 2019 minimum wage of 30,000 or they are not paying at all.
Senator Hope Uzodimma, the Executive Governor of Imo State and the Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum who is not a member of the 37 National Minimum Wage Committee, in the spirit of patriotism, a healthy working environment, and improved national wages in the country, attended the meeting of Tuesday 21 May 2024.
However, the meeting still falls short of the expectations of the Organized Labour led by the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, as he calls the fresh proposal of 57, 000 by the Federal Government and the Private Sector, “Unsubstantial”.
With this second deadlock, the faith of the Nigerian workers hangs in the balance as it is proving unlikely for the parties to produce an agreeable national minimum wage before the May 31, 2024 deadline FG promised to announce a new minimum wage for the country.
