The Federal Government has proposed a new minimum wage of N54,000, following a walkout by the Organised Labour during the last meeting with the Tripartite Committee.
This development comes after the government’s initial proposal of N48,000 was rejected by Labour, who are demanding a minimum wage of N615,000. The new proposal is still far from Labour’s demands, which were based on an analysis of the current economic situation and the needs of an average Nigerian family of six.
The National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, had earlier expressed disappointment with the government’s initial proposal, calling it “paltry” and “insulting” to Nigerian workers. He also highlighted the disparity between the proposed minimum wage and prevailing standards in the private sector, where even the least paid workers receive N78,000.
Ajaero further criticized the government’s lack of transparency and good faith in the negotiation process, citing the failure to provide substantiated data to support their offer. This, he said, undermines the credibility of the negotiation process and erodes trust between the parties involved.
It remains to be seen whether Labour will accept the government’s new proposal of N54,000, which is still significantly lower than their demands.
