June 7, (THEWILL)- The Federal Government, on Friday night, offered a new minimum wage of N62,000 to workers.
THEWILL reports that the new offer was presented to representatives of organised labour on Friday night, after a twelve-hour meeting of the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage held at Nicon Luxury Hotel in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
However, representatives of organised labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), differ, as they shifted their demand from its earlier N494,000 national minimum wage to N250,000.
Recall that organised labour, on Tuesday, suspended its nationwide indefinite strike over the minimum wage and electricity tariff hike to allow room for negotiation after it rejected the N60,000 earlier proposed by the Federal Government as the national minimum wage.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, on Monday, assured the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) that President Bola Tinubu will offer a national minimum wage far above the N60,000 earlier proposed.
The President, on Tuesday, mandated the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, to submit a new template of national minimum wage that would guide a new negotiation with leaders of organised labour at the tripartite committee meeting.
Beating the 48-hour deadline given by the President, the Minister, on Thursday, presented a template detailing the financial impact of implementing an affordable, sustainable, and realistic national minimum wage to President Tinubu.
Presenting the new offer on Friday, representatives of the Federal Government, including Wale Edun, as well as the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu, and his counterpart in Labour and Employment (State), Nkiruka Onyejeocha, joined by a representative of the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC) as well as state governments’ representatives, including the Director General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF); Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, and representatives of Organised Private Sector (OPS), announced the offer to the leaders of organised labour led by NLC President, Joe Ajaero, and his TUC counterpart, Comrade Festus Osifo.
Meanwhile, the Tripartite Committee has adjourned as there was no consensus at the meeting.
THEWILL earlier reported that State Governors have expressed concerns about their ability to pay a minimum wage of N60,000, an offer which organised labour earlier rejected.
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