The Organised Labour in Nigeria has issued a firm ultimatum, stating that a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers must be in place before the end of July 2024.
Festus Osifo, the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), made this demand during a meeting with the Special Adviser on Labour Matters from the Kogi State Governor, Onuh Edoka, and his delegation in Abuja.
Osifo expressed hope that the new minimum wage would be announced, passed into law, and implementation would begin before the end of the given timeline. He emphasized the urgent need for the National Tripartite Negotiation Committee, comprising the government, labour, and the organised private sector, to find a common ground on the matter.
The current national minimum wage of N30,000, which was in effect since 2019, has expired. This comes amid the recent removal of the fuel subsidy on May 29, 2023, the day President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office, further exacerbating the economic challenges faced by Nigerian workers.
Osifo stated that labour unions have submitted a proposal for a new minimum wage of N250,000, while the government and the organised private sector have proposed N62,000. He called for all parties to come together and resolve the issue so that the President can send the bill to the National Assembly for prompt consideration and passage into law.
The silence from President Tinubu and the governors of Nigeria’s 36 states on the minimum wage issue after a crucial meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) yesterday has raised concerns among Nigerians and organised labour groups. The governors who briefed the press after the NEC meeting did not address or take questions on the minimum wage matter.
Osifo emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that a new minimum wage is crucial to alleviate the economic challenges faced by Nigerian workers, particularly in the face of the country’s skyrocketing inflation.