BY GODWIN OBI
The organised labour consisting of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) has maintained that its N250,000 demand and the N62,000 figure submitted by the tripartite committee for new minimum wage remain until after discussions with President Bola Tinubu.
While labour insists on N250,000 as a new minimum wage, the committee had pegged it at N62,000.
But during a Thursday meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, the organised labour led by the NLC President Joe Ajaero and his TUC counterpart Festus Osifo said nothing has changed about the demands.
Ajaero said the meeting – which lasted for about an hour and was later adjourned to next week – was not a negotiation and the two figures remain on the table.
“In the real sense, it wasn’t a negotiation but a discussion and we have had that discussion. We agreed to look at the real terms probably and reconvene in the next week. So, that’s where we are because we didn’t go down there to talk naira and kobo,” Ajaero said.
“At least there were some basic issues that we agreed on. The status quo in terms of the amount N250,000 and N62,000 remains until we finish this conversation.”
According to the TUC boss, the labour delegation informed the President of the economic difficulties Nigerians are going through.
“In the meeting, we tried to put the issues on the table, issues that are bothering and biting Nigerians today. The economic difficulties and the value of the naira, how it has also eroded, and how these have affected the prices of commodities and goods in the market.
“So, we tried to put these before Mr President because he is the president of the country and the bulk stops at his table,” the TUC boss said.
“We have had all the conversations with all his agents, but today we said let us meet with the father of the country and have this conversation and make the argument that labour always makes. We made all the arguments, the economic analysis, macro, micro, fiscal and monetary issues.
“So, we put everything forward and at the end, the President made his remark as the president and we all agreed let’s go back, we internalise it, we have some conversation, and by one week time, we will come back and we will continue the meeting.”
Optimistic FG
Meanwhile, the Federal Government is optimistic that the impasse over the new minimum wage will be resolved by next week.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Malagi and his Labour and Employment (state) counterpart Nkeiruka Onyejeocha said this after a closed-door session between President Tinubu and the labour leaders.
Recall that the tripartite committee on the new national minimum wage had after the conclusion of its assignment in June, submitted two figures to the President as the organized private sector and the government team offered to pay N62,000, while the organized labour demanded N250,000.
The disagreement over a uniform figure has led to delay by the President in sending any figure to the National Assembly through the Executive Bill, choosing to consult will relevant stakeholders before doing that.
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