FG Invites Labour To Resume Negotiation On Minimum Wage On Friday

The Federal Government has once again invited organised labour to continue negotiations on the minimum wage, a source familiar with the matter told our correspondent in Abuja on Wednesday.

The source noted that labour would honour the invitation. “A letter has been addressed to labour by the committee chairman and signed by the NSIWC chairman. The meeting is scheduled for Friday. Of course, labour will attend. If they present a better offer on Friday, we will accept it,” the source said.

On Tuesday, the minimum wage committee had adjourned indefinitely after talks between the Federal Government and organised labour broke down, with labour rejecting the Federal Government’s N60,000 proposal, up from the earlier N57,000 offer. Labour had also revised its demand, reducing it by N3,000 to a new proposal of N494,000.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) had given the committee until the end of the month to conclude talks on a new national minimum wage. This ultimatum will expire on Friday night.

The President of the TUC, Festus Osifo, reiterated that the May Day ultimatum remained in effect following the breakdown of talks on Tuesday. “We have an ultimatum that if by the end of May we don’t have a new minimum wage, we will not be able to guarantee industrial peace. We are sticking to that ultimatum,” Osifo said.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, appealed to organised labour to be considerate and patriotic in their demands during the ongoing negotiations. She made this appeal in a statement signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry, Olajide Oshundun, in Abuja on Wednesday.

Onyejeocha emphasized that the Federal Government had consistently worked towards securing a fair and realistic wage for Nigerian workers. She urged labour to consider the nation’s ongoing economic recovery from the pandemic and other economic challenges. “We appeal to organised labour and other relevant stakeholders to be considerate and patriotic in their demands, recognizing that our economy is still recovering from the pandemic and other global economic shocks. We are committed to putting the people first and ensuring that our economic policies benefit all Nigerians, not just a select few,” she said.

She added that the government remained dedicated to prioritizing the well-being of its citizens and urged all relevant parties to demonstrate patriotism and understanding, especially during this critical period when President Bola Tinubu is working to revitalize the economy.

The minister acknowledged the complexity of the economic challenges faced by Nigerians and called for a collective effort from all stakeholders to overcome them. She highlighted the significance of the meeting with organised labour in securing a fair and realistic wage for Nigerian workers.

“After hours of intense negotiations, labour leaders took a recess to consult with other key stakeholders and have pledged to return to the negotiating table for further discussion. We welcome this development and are optimistic that our continued engagement will yield a positive outcome,” Onyejeocha said.

She noted that the government’s move from N57,000 to N60,000 demonstrated its willingness to listen to labour’s concerns and work towards a mutually beneficial agreement.

A top official of the NLC confirmed that organised labour had not changed its position that the minimum wage negotiations should conclude on Friday.