Organised Labour has said it will not accept anything less than N100,000 as minimum wage as the negotiations between its representatives and the Federal Government heighten.
Several notable sources from both the Trade Union Congress and Nigeria Labour Congress who spoke to Saturday PUNCH stressed that the Federal Government and the organised private sector should not expect labour to accept anything less than a six-digit offer.
The unions said the government was not serious about the negotiations, adding that the shift from N48,000 to N57,000 was too meagre to be considered as ‘shifting grounds’.
They noted that the promise made by President Bola Tinubu when he became President and on Workers’ Day was that the Federal Government would pay a living wage, adding that N57,000 did not fall into that category.
The sources also noted that they were going to have a national executive council meeting on Monday in preparation for the meeting with the Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage on Wednesday.
READ ALSO: Again Labour Unions reject FG N54,000 minimum wage proposal
The meeting on the ongoing negotiations on the new minimum wage was adjourned till Wednesday after Organised Labour rejected the new N54,000 minimum wage proposal by the Federal Government.
Credible News had reported that the Federal Government on Tuesday upped its offer from its earlier proposed N48,000 to N54,000.
Tuesday’s meeting came as a result of the walkout staged by members of Organised Labour following the proposal of N48,000 as minimum wage by the Federal Government during last week’s meeting.
Organised Labour on Monday reiterated its May 31, 2024 deadline for the implementation of the new minimum wage.
The National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, had insisted on N615,000 minimum wage, arguing that the amount was arrived at after an analysis of the current economic situation and the needs of an average Nigerian family of six.
He blamed the government and the OPS for the breakdown in negotiation, saying, “Despite earnest efforts to reach an equitable agreement, the less than reasonable action of the Government and the Organised Private Sector has led to a breakdown in negotiations.”
Credible News.ng
