The Organized Labour has set a deadline for the Federal Government to meet workers’ demands by midnight on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. This follows a one-week grace period issued last Tuesday, June 4.
If the Federal Government and National Assembly fail to act, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) will convene to decide on resuming the nationwide industrial action, which was paused last week. Chris Onyeka, Assistant General Secretary of the NLC, stated this on Channels Television’s “The Morning Brief” on Monday.
“The Federal Government and the National Assembly have the call now. Our demand is for them to review our proposal and send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly. If there is no tangible response by tomorrow, we will decide on our next steps,” Onyeka said.
When asked about the government’s insistence on a ₦62,000 minimum wage, Onyeka emphasized that labour will not accept any “starvation wage.” Labour’s current demand is ₦250,000, considering it a fair living wage for Nigerian workers. Onyeka dismissed the government’s offer of ₦62,000 and other proposals of ₦100,000, insisting that these amounts are insufficient.
“We have never contemplated accepting ₦62,000 or ₦100,000. We are still at ₦250,000, which we consider a sufficient concession to the government and other social partners,” Onyeka stated.
Protracted Deadlock
The dispute over the minimum wage has led to prolonged deadlock. Labour declared an indefinite strike on June 3, 2024, shutting down airports, hospitals, the national grid, banks, and legislative complexes. The unions argue that the current ₦30,000 minimum wage is inadequate, especially given current inflationary pressures, the removal of petrol subsidies, and the unification of forex windows.
The unions also criticized some governors for failing to pay the current wage, which expired in April 2024. The Minimum Wage Act of 2019 mandates a review every five years, but negotiations for a new wage have stalled.
President Bola Tinubu inaugurated a tripartite committee in January 2024 to negotiate a new minimum wage. Labour initially demanded ₦615,000 but later reduced their demand to ₦494,000 and finally to ₦250,000. The government and Organized Private Sector initially offered ₦48,000 to ₦60,000, all of which Labour rejected, prompting the strike.
Last Monday, Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume said the President was committed to a wage above ₦60,000, leading Labour to pause their strike. However, negotiations failed again on June 7, with the government offering ₦62,000, which Labour rejected.
The President is expected to make a decision and send an executive bill to the National Assembly to establish a new minimum wage.
