Minimum Wage: Labour rejects N62,000 offer, may resume strike Tuesday
The Organised Labour has rejected the ₦62,000 offer by the federal government and proposals by some individuals and economists of ₦100,000.
The unions also said the one-week grace period given to the Federal Government last Tuesday, June 4, 2024, would expire by the midnight of Tuesday, June 11, 2024.
The labour unions say it stands by its demand for a minimum wage of ₦250,000.
Chris Onyeka, Assistant General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), gave the update on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief show, on Monday.
According to him, Labour will not accept any “starvation wage” below ₦250,000.
Onyeka said that the current minimum wage of ₦30,000 can no longer cater to the well-being of an average Nigerian worker, citing the high cost of living and the need for a living wage.
Onyeka said, “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.
“We have never contemplated ₦100,000 let alone of ₦62,000. We are still at ₦250,000, that is where we are, and that is what we considered enough concession to the government and the other social partners in this particular situation. We are not just driven by frivolities but the realities of the market place; realities of things we buy every day: bag of rice, yam, garri, and all of that.”
The further updated that the one-week grace period given to the Federal Government to meet Labour’s demands expires on Tuesday, June 11, 2024.
According to him, if the government fails to act, Labour will meet to decide on the resumption of the nationwide industrial action.
“The Federal Government and the National Assembly have the call now. It is not our call. Our demand is there for them (the government) 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 fact of the law, and then come up with a National Minimum Act that meets our demands,” he said.
Onyeka warned that if the government insists on ₦62,000, Labour will resume the strike, which was relaxed last week.
It can be recalled that Labour declared an indefinite industrial action on June 3, 2024. However, the strike was relaxed for a week after the government promised to consider a wage above ₦60,000. However, the two sides failed to reach an agreement on Friday, June 7, 2024, with Labour reducing its demand to ₦250,000 and the government offering ₦62,000.
