Strike Looms As Labour Rejects Another FG's Offer Of N60,000 Minimum Wage

Nation-wide strike seems to be looming, following the organized labour's  rejection of another fresh offer of N60,000 minimum wage for workers by the Federal Government in the  tripartite meeting which again ended  in a deadlock on Tuesday, just three days to deadline given by the labour leadership to conclude all forms of negotiation 

The leadership of both the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), who had earlier rejected the government's initial minimum wage proposals of N48,000 and N54,000 by the Organized Private Sector and subsequent offer of N57,000, went to the tripartite meeting with fresh  minimum wage proposal of N494,000 from the previous N497,000 and the initial proposed N615,000 which labour described as a living wage for average workers in Nigeria, considering the prevailing economic realities 

It was learnt from a prominent member of the Tripartite Committee for the negotiation of a new minimum wage,  that no agreement was reached as at Tuesday, as labour staged a walk out of the meeting based on the government's  fresh offer of N60,000 which is still a far cry to the new proposed N494,000 minimum wage by the organized labour 

NLC President Joe Ajaero had described as “unsubstantial”, the fresh proposals by the government. “It is still not substantial compared to what we need to make a family moving".

“The economy of the workers is totally destroyed. In fact, the workers don’t have any economy. I think there are two economies in the country; the economy of the bourgeoisie and the economy of the workers. I think we have to harmonise this so that we can have a meeting point,” Ajaero had said.

The labour unions said the current minimum wage of ₦30,000 can no longer cater to the wellbeing of an average Nigerian worker, lamenting that not all governors are paying the current wage award which expired in April 2024, five years after the Minimum Wage Act of 2019 was signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari. The Act should be reviewed every five years to meet up with contemporary economic demands of workers.

The meeting has been adjourned indefinitely