NLC, TUC Maintain Stance On N250K Minimum Wage, May Resume Nationwide Strike On Tuesday

The Organised Labour has reiterated that the one-week grace period granted to the Federal Government will expire at midnight on Tuesday, June 11, 2024.

This ultimatum was issued following prolonged negotiations over a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Monday, Chris Onyeka, Assistant General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), emphasised that the Federal Government and the National Assembly now have the responsibility to respond to the demands set forth by the labour unions.

“The Federal Government and the National Assembly have the call now. It is not our call. Our demand is there for them to look at and send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly,” Onyeka stated.

Should the government fail to act by the deadline, Onyeka warned that the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) would convene to decide on resuming the nationwide industrial action that was temporarily paused last week.

“If after tomorrow we have not seen any tangible response from the government, the organs of the organised labour will meet to decide what next,” he added.

The NLC and TUC are firm in their stance against the current minimum wage proposals from the government.

Despite recent negotiations, the government’s offer of ₦62,000 was deemed unacceptable by labour leaders, who insist on a minimum wage of ₦250,000.

Onyeka described the government’s offer as a “starvation wage,” highlighting the union’s demand as a necessary adjustment to match current economic realities.

The dispute over the new minimum wage has led to a significant standoff. Labour initially demanded ₦615,000 but has since made concessions, reducing their demand to ₦250,000.

In contrast, the government’s offers have incrementally increased from ₦48,000 to the current ₦62,000.

The deadlock prompted a nationwide strike on June 3, 2024, which severely disrupted essential services across the country, including airports, hospitals, and banks.

This industrial action was paused on June 4, 2024, following a commitment from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, that the President was dedicated to a wage above ₦60,000. However, subsequent negotiations have yet to yield a mutually agreeable solution.

The labour union said its demands were driven by the necessity to adjust wages to cope with inflation and the economic pressures resulting from the removal of petrol subsidies and the unification of forex windows.

They argued that the current minimum wage of ₦30,000 is insufficient to sustain the average Nigerian worker, a sentiment echoed by the frustration over some state governors’ failure to implement the wage award that expired in April 2024.

As the deadline looms, all eyes are on the Federal Government and the National Assembly to see if they will act to avert the resumption of a crippling nationwide strike.

The President is expected to review the reports submitted by labour and government representatives and make a decisive move to propose a new minimum wage bill to the National Assembly.

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