The Organised Labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), has reiterated its ultimatum to the Federal Government, setting a deadline of May 31, 2024, to meet all of its demands.
These demands include the implementation of a new national minimum wage and the reversal of the recent hike in electricity tariffs.
This ultimatum followed an emergency meeting of the National Executive Councils (NEC) of the NLC and TUC, convened on Monday to address pressing national issues affecting Nigerian workers.
Among the issues discussed were the continued non-compliance with the 2019 National Minimum Wage Act by several state governments.
In a resolution signed by NLC President Joe Ajaero and TUC leader Festus Osifo, the labour unions also directed their members in Anambra State to prepare for industrial action if the state government does not meet the workers’ demands by May 23, 2024.
The resolution acknowledges ongoing negotiations between the NLC/TUC, the Organised Private Sector (OPS), and the federal government regarding the new national minimum wage.
While appreciating the progress made so far, the NEC emphasized the urgency of reaching a fair and equitable agreement that reflects the true value of Nigerian workers’ contributions to the nation’s development and addresses the current survival crisis facing Nigerians due to government policies.
The NEC affirmed its commitment to protecting workers’ interests and welfare in the negotiation process. It reiterated the ultimatum issued by the NLC and TUC to the federal government, emphasizing the non-negotiable nature of the demands and urging the government to prioritize resolving these issues to maintain industrial peace.
The NEC also directed all state councils whose state governments have yet to fully implement the N30,000 National Minimum Wage and its consequential adjustments to issue an immediate joint two-week ultimatum to the non-compliant state governments to avert industrial action.
Specifically, the NEC reaffirmed the joint ultimatum issued to the Anambra state government, directing all affiliates and workers in the state council to mobilize for a successful action if the state government fails to meet the workers’ demands by Thursday, May 23, 2024.
Recently, labour unions walked out of minimum wage negotiations with the government following a N48,000 proposal from the Federal Government, which the unions described as ridiculous. According to the NLC President, the government was not serious about negotiating a new minimum wage. TUC President Festus Osifo also criticized the proposal, noting that the least federal workers are already earning up to N77,000, making the N48,000 offer “abysmal.”
On April 14, the Organised Labour demanded N615,000 as the new minimum wage to cope with economic realities and the high cost of living in Nigeria. The current minimum wage of N30,000 is deemed insufficient for the average Nigerian worker, and not all governors are complying with the existing wage award, which expired in April 2024, five years after the Minimum Wage Act of 2019 was signed by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
