The Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage in Nigeria has postponed its meeting indefinitely, according to sources familiar with the matter. The term “sine die” was used, which means the meeting has been adjourned without a future date being set for resumption.
During the previous meeting, the Federal Government proposed increasing the minimum wage from the initial N57,000 to N60,000. However, this proposal was not accepted by organized labor, represented by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC).
The labor unions had previously proposed a minimum wage of N497,000, but they have now reduced this demand by N3,000, bringing it down to N494,000.
A labor leader who spoke to reporters said the meeting ended in a stalemate, and that the government’s proposed N60,000 minimum wage was not acceptable to the unions. The labor leader also stated that the unions would only be willing to go lower on their demands if the government increases its proposal further.
Prior to the postponed meeting, media reports had indicated that labor unions had set a deadline of May 31, 2024, for the announcement of the new minimum wage. However, with the meeting now adjourned sine die, it is unclear when a resolution will be reached on the new minimum wage.