NLC, TUC, SPITE FIRE AS FG, OPS, ADOPTS 48,000 MINIMUM WAGE

NLC, TUC, SPITE FIRE AS FG, OPS, ADOPTS 48,000 MINIMUM WAGE

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), on Wednesday 15 May, 2024, walked out of the ongoing minimum wage negotiation.

Recall that the President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, had in late January 2024, inaugurated a Tripartite National Minimum Wage Committee for the nation.

The inauguration was performed by the Vice-President, Senator Kashim Shetima, and was chaired by a former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mr. Goni Bukar Aji, to recommend a new minimum wage in line with the 2019 Wage Act signed into law by former President, Muhammadu Buhari.

The Tripartite National Minimum Wage Committee came back to the negotiating table, with the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) represented by the Deputy President, Tommy Okon, Federal, State and the Organised Private Sector, but the discussion ended in a deadlock as the Organised Labour walked out of the negotiation in what they tagged “Ridiculous Proposal” by the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Organised Private Sector who jointly proposed 48,000 as a new minimum wage.

Reacting to this development, the President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero lambasted FG for her mockery of the Nigerian workers. The proposal of 48,000 against 610,000 as earlier proposed by the organized labor cannot take care of the daily transport fare of workers because of the present economic situation.

Ajaero emphasized that while the Federal workers receive around 77,000, the private sector pays between 70,000 and 77,000, why then, after all the waiting, were they offered a paltry sum of 48,000?

He, therefore, said that the Union is giving the Federal Government of Nigeria till the end of May to come up with something serious before NLC will respond to this affront on the sensibility of the Nigerian workers.

Festus Osifo, President of the TUC, in another press statement, condemned the offer and was shocked that FG and OPS could even mute such a shameful offer considering the harsh economic reality in the country. His anger does not spare the Private Sector whom he claimed had earlier proposed 54,000 and unfortunately, would retrogress with this ridiculous 48,000 as what? He queried.