The new minimum wage negotiations between the Federal Government and Organised Labour are expected to end on Monday (today) as the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress leaders await President Bola Tinubu’s decision on their N250,000 offer.
The labour leaders gave today, Monday, June 10 as deadline for the conclusion of talks on the new minimum wage.
Last Friday, the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage concluded its meetings where the Federal Government and the Organized Private Sector agreed on N62,000 while Labour demanded N250,000. However, the Nigeria Governors Forum in a statement said any minimum wage higher than N60,000 was not sustainable.
Labour leaders told newsmen on Sunday that the parties were waiting for the President to decide on the proposals presented by the tripartite committee. The labour leaders, who did not want to be quoted for security reasons, said the NLC President, Joe Ajaero and other top union officials had left the country to participate in a labour conference organised by the International Labour Organisation in Geneva, Switzerland.
The PUNCH was informed that the labour leaders would hold their National Executive Council meeting where a decision on the strike would be taken on their return from Geneva, based on the feedback from the president.
“We have submitted the report to the president and we are waiting for him to make his decision. That is the most important thing and that is what we are all waiting for.
“As it stands some of us are on the way to Geneva for the ILO conference. Some of us are going today (Sunday), some have gone already while others will go later.
“Before we can even hold a NEC meeting, we must come back from Geneva first. Also, we are trying to be careful so the government won’t say Labour is inciting citizens against the government. Also, you know they are in charge of the military so we are trying to be careful about that. This is why we are waiting,” a top NLC official said.
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