The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has recalibrated its position on the national minimum wage from the initial ₦494,000 to ₦100,000, amid ongoing negotiations. This new development surfaces as the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage convenes daily sessions over the course of five days to reach a collective agreement.
In the midst of these discussions, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu issued a two-day directive to Finance Minister Wale Edun to outline the financial impact of the proposed wage adjustments. The NLC’s original demand was met with skepticism for being excessively high.
An NLC senior official indicated that although no formal proposition has been tabled before the committee as of yet, the union is inclined to propose a ₦100,000 minimum wage.
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This adjusted figure comes into play as parties involved are setting an agenda for their week-long negotiations, aiming for a resolution acceptable to all. There was no discourse of an increase from the government’s end during the initial meeting. However, the NLC is preparing to wrap up negotiations with their set goal in mind.
Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, Deputy Head of NLC Political Commission, clarified the purpose of Tuesday’s session was to frame the daily meeting for the ensuing week. He differentiated between the terms “relax” and “suspend,” emphasizing that the strike is simply on a temporary hold, akin to being on a heightened state of alert, rather than being called off entirely. This strategy underlines the urgency that the following week’s meetings represent, potentially leading up to renewed strike actions if a satisfying outcome is not achieved.
