The ongoing negotiations between the Federal Government, organized labour, and the private sector on a new national minimum wage have been adjourned until Wednesday. This follows the rejection by labour of the government’s latest offer of N54,000 per month.
The meeting on Tuesday saw the government increase its initial proposal of N48,000 to N54,000. However, the organized labour, represented by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), insisted on their demand for a N615,000 “living wage.”
According to a source who attended the meeting, the government’s side did not show much seriousness, with state governors either absent or sending representatives without the mandate to negotiate on their behalf. The private sector was also not fully engaged before the meeting was adjourned.
The NLC and TUC had earlier reiterated their May 31, 2024 deadline for the implementation of a new minimum wage. They blamed the government and the organized private sector (OPS) for the breakdown in negotiations, saying their “less than reasonable action” has led to the impasse.
The minimum wage negotiations are being carried out by a 37-member Tripartite Committee inaugurated by President Bola Tinubu in January 2024. The committee, which has representatives from the federal and state governments, the private sector, and organized labour, was urged to “speedily” arrive at a resolution and submit its report early.
During zonal public hearings held as part of the committee’s work, the NLC and TUC in different states proposed living wage figures ranging from N447,000 to N794,000, citing the current economic hardship and high cost of living.
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