The Organised Labour has firmly rejected the N62,000 minimum wage offer proposed by the Federal Government, declaring it insufficient. The labour union maintains that it will not accept what it describes as a “starvation wage” of N100,000 and continues to demand a minimum wage of N250,000 for Nigerian workers. This stance was reiterated during the latest meeting of the Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage last Friday.
Chris Onyeka, the Assistant General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), made these declarations on Monday while speaking on Channels Television’s “The Morning Brief” show. Onyeka emphasized that the one-week grace period given to the Federal Government on June 4, 2024, will expire at midnight on June 11, 2024. He warned that if the government and the National Assembly fail to meet workers’ demands by the deadline, the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) will convene to decide on the potential resumption of the nationwide industrial action that was temporarily halted last week.
“Our position is very clear. We have never considered accepting N62,000 or any other wage that falls short of sustaining Nigerian workers. We will not negotiate a starvation wage. We have never contemplated N100,000, let alone N62,000. Our demand remains at N250,000, which we believe is a reasonable concession to the government and other social partners given the current economic realities,” Onyeka stated. He highlighted the daily challenges faced by workers, citing the cost of essential goods like rice, yam, and garri.
Onyeka stressed that the responsibility now lies with the Federal Government and the National Assembly to act. “Our demand is before them. They need to send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly, and it’s up to the National Assembly to address our demands and pass a National Minimum Wage Act that meets our expectations.”
He continued, “We have given the Federal Government a one-week notice, which expires tomorrow. If there is no tangible response from the government by then, the organs of the Organised Labour will meet to decide the next steps.”
Onyeka concluded by reiterating the union’s readiness to resume the nationwide strike if necessary. “We made it clear that we are only pausing the indefinite strike. If the governing bodies of our trade unions decide to lift that pause, we will revert to the previous strike action.”