FG Reacts As Labour Rejects N60K Minimum Wage Offer 

The Federal Government has appealed to the organised labour to be considerate and accept the proposed N60K minimum wage offer. Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Mrs Nkeiruka Onyejeocha made the appeal in a statement signed by Mr Olajide Oshundun, Director of Press and Public Relations in the ministry on Wednesday in Abuja. The organized labour on Tuesday rejected the N60,000 proposed by the Tripartite Committee. They also reduced their demand from N500,000 to N494,000. Giving reasons for not accepting the N60K proposal, the Labour said: “How can we agree on N60,000- an amount that cannot buy a bag of rice to serve as national minimum wage. Let’s assume that you are buying a loaf of bread for your family at N2,000 every day and that is what you and your family want to be eating for one meal. “We have to be realistic in this country. When government increased the price of petrol, they asked labour to wait and demand for a living minimum wage and the government is going to provide a living a living wage for workers. But now, we are asking for a living wage and government is playing around it.” Reacting to the development, Onyejeocha said that the federal government had been consistent in taking steps to secure a fair and realistic wage for Nigeria workers. “We are committed to putting the people first and ensuring that our economic policies benefit all Nigerians, not just a select few. “The government remain dedicated to prioritizing the well-being of our citizens and its want to urge all relevant parties to demonstrate patriotism and understanding. “This is particularly during this critical period when the President, Bola Tinubu, is working diligently to revitalize the economy,”she said. “As a government, we recognise the importance of ensuring that our citizens receive a decent standard of living, and we are committed to making this a reality. “After hours of intense negotiations, labour leaders took a recess to consult with other key stakeholders and have pledged to return to the negotiating table for further discussion. “We welcome this development and are optimistic that our continued engagement will yield a positive outcome. “In light of the current economic conditions, we have made a concessionary move from N57,000 to N60,000. “This is the path that this government has chosen to pursue, and we will not deviate or stray from the course. “President Tinubu has been tireless in his efforts to revitalise the economy and improve the standard of living for all Nigerians. “His commitment to creating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and reducing poverty is genuine, and we appeal to all to support him in this endeavour. “As we move forward, we will continue to engage with organised labour and other stakeholders to ensure that our economic policies are inclusive and beneficial to all,” she added. Meanwhile, yesterday’s meeting ended in a deadlock as both parties failed to reach an agreement. The meeting was subsequently postponed indefinitely. The Labour had vowed that if the Federal Government failed to come up with a reasonable amount by May 31, then a nationwide strike will begin.

Why we rejected N48,000 minimum wage, Organized Labour

The Organised Labour has said it rejected the proposed N48,000 minimum wage because the Federal Government did not reveal how it arrived at the amount. Mr Etim Okon, the Vice President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) said this while confirming that labour will attendn the negotiation meeting of Tripartite Committee on the Minimum Wage slated for Tuesday. According to Okon, the government’s failure to provide any substantiated data to support its offer exacerbates the situation, adding that lack of transparency and good faith undermines the credibility of the negotiation process. “The proposal falls significantly short of meeting our needs and aspirations. “The Federal Government has apologised and the next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday and we are going to appear and present our demand.  “We will still be presenting the N615,000. It is what we presented before we walked out, though our submission was not rejected by the government. “We only rejected the N48,000 that government presented because they did not show us how they arrived at that amount. “That is taking cognizance of transportation, housing, food, utilities, health, education among others which are basic needs of the people. “So government should come out clearly with what they are offering with the indices and variables and also how they arrived at that. This is all what we are saying,” Okon said. Recall that the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the TUC had walked out on the negotiation meeting after the Federal Government proposed N48,000 as new minimum wage for workers in the country.