The Organised Labour has scheduled an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting over the suspension of the payment of the wage award to civil servants and increment of the minimum wage.
President Bola Tinubu is expected to sign the new minimum wage bill into law next year.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed, had stated that the current N30,000 minimum wage would expire at the end of March 2024.
However, in the 2024 budget, the Federal Government has budgeted the sum of N1tn for minimum wage adjustments, promotion arrears and severance benefits for civil servants in its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
In an interview with The Punch, the Deputy President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Tommy Etim, said the stoppage of the payment of the wage award was wrong and a recipe for industrial action.
Etim said the government has refused to call for a meeting with the labour leaders to explain the reason for the stoppage of the wage award.
The TUC official asserted that the labour movement might resolve to embark on a prolonged industrial action during its next NEC meeting.
He said: “At the last TUC NEC meeting, we called the government’s attention to the fact that stopping the payment of the wage award is not in the best interest of the government, because it is a recipe for industrial action; so, that alone is a signal.
“However, the government has not also invited us to tell us why they have not paid, so we are waiting; if by the end of this month of December they have not paid, I can assure you that at the next meeting of NEC, there will be a resolution for an industrial action.
“Until the budget passes through the National Assembly and is enacted before Mr President assents to it. If it is assented to, there will be a supplementary budget (new minimum wage), so that is not an issue. When you look at the current inflation rate of about 28.2 per cent, no benchmark as of today can survive. So, it will not be based on a mere pronouncement of N500, 000 for instance
“The negotiation for a new minimum wage will be based on socio-economic realities. That is what we are going to take to the table. We are going to look at all indices that a worker needs. The housing, transportation, and all these components will form the basis of our discussion and negotiation. So, it is not going to be on a round-figure basis. The current prices of items will determine the current minimum wage.”