On Monday, the organized labour held an emergency National Executive Council (NEC) meeting regarding the new minimum wage negotiation with the federal government.
Attended by officials of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), the meeting concluded with an insistence that the government must finalize all processes relating to the new minimum wage by the end of May.
In a communique at the end of their meeting, signed by the President of NLC, Joe Ajaero, and his TUC counterpart, Festus Osifo, the labour leaders lamented that the government has not shown commitment to the new minimum wage process.
The unions also directed their state councils to issue a two-week deadline to state governments not paying the N30,000 minimum wage to workers.
They added that they couldn’t guarantee industrial peace in those states if they failed to pay workers the N30,000 wage.
The NLC and TUC expressed readiness to return to the negotiation table after staging a walkout during last week’s meeting when the government offered N48,000 as the new minimum wage.
The labour leaders also condemned the government’s increase in the electricity tariff and called for its immediate reversal.
The communique reads: After thorough deliberations and considerations of these current realities as they affect Nigerian workers and masses, the NEC-in-session of both centres resolved as follows:
“Electricity Tariff Hike: The NEC once again vehemently condemns the unilateral increase in electricity tariff by the authorities. This action, taken without due consideration for the economic hardships faced by the masses and the provisions of the Law, is deemed unjust and burdensome.
The NEC reaffirms its demands for an immediate reversal of the tariff hike and the vexatious apartheid categorization into Bands to alleviate the suffering of Nigerian workers and citizens and gives the National Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and the federal government until the last day of May, 2024 to meet these demands.
“Negotiation of New National Minimum Wage: The NEC acknowledges the ongoing negotiations between the NLC/TUC, the Organised Private Sector (OPS) and the federal government regarding the new national minimum wage.
While appreciating the efforts made thus far, the NEC emphasises the urgency of reaching a fair and equitable agreement that reflects the true value of Nigerian workers’ contributions to the nation’s development and the current crisis of survival facing Nigerians as a result of the government’s policies.
The NEC affirms its commitment to ensuring that the interests and welfare of workers are adequately protected in the negotiation process.
“The NEC-in-session therefore reiterates the ultimatum issued by the NLC and TUC to the federal government, which expires on the last day of this month. It emphasises the non-negotiable nature of the demands put forth by Nigerian workers and urges the government to prioritise the resolution of these issues in the best interest of industrial peace.