FG insincere on minimum wage negotiation – NLC

The Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress have accused the federal government of being insincere in negotiating a new minimum wage for workers. TheCornet reports that leaders of the two labour unions angrily abandoned negotiation with government officials on Wednesday. While the NLC is asking for N615,000 as minimum wage, the government proposed N48,000. On its part, the Organised Private Sector offered N54,000.

Commenting on the development, NLC’s president Joe Ajaero, said that “the Government’s proposal of a paltry N48,000” amount to “insults (on) the sensibilities of Nigerian workers”. It “falls significantly short of meeting our needs and aspirations,” he said.

He added: “The stark disparity between the proposed minimum wage and prevailing standards further demonstrating the unwillingness of employers and the government to faithfully negotiate a fair national minimum wage for workers in Nigeria.’’

Ajaero further stated, “The government’s failure to provide substantiated data to support their offer exacerbates the situation. This lack of transparency and good faith undermines the credibility of the negotiation process and erodes trust between the parties involved.

“As representatives of Nigerian workers, we cannot in good conscience accept a wage proposal that would result in a reduction in income for federal-level workers who are already receiving N30,000  as mandated by law, augmented by Buhari’s (former President Muhammadu Buhari) 40 per cent peculiar allowance (N12,000) and the N35,000 wage award, totalling N77,000 only.

“Such a regressive step would undermine the economic well-being of workers and their families and is unacceptable in a national minimum wage fixing process.”