The Organized Labour movement in Nigeria has firmly rejected any proposed minimum wage of ₦62,000 or ₦100,000, describing these amounts as “starvation wages.”
Chris Onyeka, Assistant General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), made this clear during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief show.
Onyeka emphasized that the NLC is demanding a minimum wage of ₦250,000, which was their latest proposal during the recent meeting of the Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage.
He dismissed the government’s offer of ₦62,000 and the ₦100,000 proposal suggested by some individuals and economists, insisting that such wages are inadequate for Nigerian workers.
“We have never considered accepting ₦62,000 or any other wage that we know is below what we know is able to take Nigerian workers home. We will not negotiate a starvation wage,” Onyeka stated.
He reiterated that the NLC’s position remains at ₦250,000, which they see as a reasonable compromise considering the current economic realities, such as the cost of essential goods like rice, yam, and garri.
The NLC has given the Federal Government a one-week grace period, starting from Tuesday, June 4, 2024, which will expire by midnight on Tuesday, June 11, 2024.
Onyeka warned that if the government and the National Assembly do not act on the workers’ demands by this deadline, the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) will decide on resuming the nationwide industrial action that was temporarily paused last week.
“The Federal Government and the National Assembly have the call now. It is not our call.
Our demand is there for them to look at and send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly, and for the National Assembly to look at what we have demanded, the various facts of the law, and then come up with a National Minimum Act that meets our demands,” Onyeka said.
If there is no satisfactory response from the government by the deadline, the organs of the Organized Labour will convene to determine the next steps.
Onyeka also reiterated that if the government insists on a ₦62,000 minimum wage, the labour unions are prepared to resume their indefinite nationwide strike.
This action was initially declared on Monday, June 3, 2024, after weeks of unsuccessful negotiations on a new minimum wage. The strike had caused significant disruptions, shutting down airports, hospitals, the national grid, banks, and legislative complexes.
The labour unions argue that the current minimum wage of ₦30,000 is insufficient for the average Nigerian worker, given the current inflation and economic challenges, including the removal of petrol subsidies and the unification of the forex windows.
They also pointed out that not all governors are paying the current wage, which expired in April 2024, five years after the 2019 Minimum Wage Act was signed.
In January 2024, President Bola Tinubu established a tripartite committee to negotiate a new minimum wage. Initially, labour proposed ₦615,000 but later reduced their demand to ₦497,000, and then to ₦494,000.
Conversely, the government and Organized Private Sector’s offers started at ₦48,000 and went up to ₦60,000, all of which were rejected by labour, leading to the strike.
On June 3, 2024, following the strike, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, indicated the President’s commitment to a wage above ₦60,000 and announced a one-week negotiation period.
This prompted labour to temporarily pause their strike on June 4, 2024. Despite continued talks, the two sides failed to reach an agreement by June 7, 2024. Labour further reduced their demand to ₦250,000, while the government increased its offer to ₦62,000.
Both parties have submitted their reports to the President, who is expected to decide and send an executive bill to the National Assembly to establish a new minimum wage law.
