The President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has emphasized that the union’s demand for a minimum wage of ₦250,000 remains steadfast. This position remains unchanged, despite an agreement between the federal government and the organized private sector to implement a minimum wage of ₦62,000......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
The wage ongoing for minimum workers. wage debate in Nigeria continues to be a source of disagreement between the government and labour unions regarding the appropriate wage level.
Organised labour is scheduled to reconvene with President Bola Tinubu in seven days to further discuss the minimum wage issue.
Speaking with State House correspondents in Abuja on Thursday, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, minister of state for labour, expressed confidence that the minimum wage issue would soon be resolved.
“It is a fruitful meeting, father and children. I think we are hopeful that very soon everything will be resolved,” she said.
“Of course, when father and children talk, you know what it is. That’s just exactly what has happened. It took us almost about an hour. I believe that it’s all for good.”
On his part, Joe Ajaero, NLC president, said the meeting was not a negotiation but a discussion with the president.
“In a real sense, it wasn’t a negotiation but a discussion, and we have had that discussion,” Ajaero said.
“We agreed to look at the real terms probably and reconvene in the next one week.
“So that’s where we are. We didn’t go down there to talk naira and kobo. At least there were some basic issues that we agreed on.
“We didn’t go into naira and kobo discussions. Now the status quo in terms of the amount N250,000 and N62,000 remains until we finish this conversation.”
Festus Osifo, TUC president, said the meeting looked at the issues “bothering and biting Nigerians today”.
At the last meeting of the tripartite committee set up to negotiate the minimum wage, labour rejected the N62,000 proposed by the government and lowered its demand to N250,000.