By Harriet Tornguvan
The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has rejected the proposed ₦100,000 minimum wage by Bola Tinubu’s administration, deeming it insufficient.
In an interview with Channels Television, NLC Assistant General Secretary Chris Onyeka called the proposal a “starvation wage.” Onyeka emphasized that the labour unions would not settle for anything less than ₦250,000, which they consider the minimum living wage for Nigerian workers.
"Our stance is clear. We have never entertained the idea of accepting ₦62,000 or any amount that falls short of sustaining Nigerian workers. We will not negotiate a starvation wage," Onyeka asserted. "We demand ₦250,000, which we believe is a reasonable concession to the government. This demand is grounded in the realities of the current market prices of essential commodities like rice, yam, and garri."
The one-week ultimatum given to the Federal Government to reassess its proposal, issued on June 4, 2024, will expire at midnight on June 11, 2024. Onyeka indicated that if the government and the National Assembly fail to meet workers' demands by the deadline, organized labour will convene to decide on resuming the nationwide strike.
"The Federal Government and the National Assembly must respond. Our demand is clear: an Executive Bill addressing our minimum wage needs must be submitted and passed into law. If our demands are not met by tomorrow, we will decide our next course of action," Onyeka warned.
When questioned about the potential government insistence on the ₦62,000 wage, Onyeka clarified that the unions have merely paused the strike. "If the unions decide to lift this pause, we will resume our previous actions," he explained.
The dispute follows weeks of failed negotiations for a new minimum wage, leading to a nationwide strike by the NLC and TUC last Monday. The unions argue that the current ₦30,000 minimum wage is inadequate given the prevailing economic conditions and inflation.
The strike was suspended for five days after the labour leadership and the Federal Government signed an agreement to resume negotiations and propose a new minimum wage within a week. This suspension came after a six-hour meeting between the labour leaders and the National Assembly.
To expedite the process, President Tinubu instructed Finance Minister Wale Edun to present the financial implications of a new minimum wage within two days. The Finance Minister, alongside the Minister of Budget and National Planning Atiku Bagudu, presented these implications on Thursday at the Presidential Villa.
Despite the government's claim that the unions' demand is unaffordable and the state governors' assertion of its unsustainability, the labour unions reduced their demand from ₦494,000 to ₦250,000. However, the government only increased its offer from ₦60,000 to ₦62,000, leading to an impasse.
The reports from both sides have been submitted to President Tinubu, who is expected to forward an executive bill to the National Assembly to enact a new minimum wage law.
