Minimum wage: Be considerate and patriotic, labour minister appeals to NLC, TUC

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, has appealed to organised labour to be considerate and patriotic in their demands in the ongoing negotiation for a new national minimum wage.

Onyejeocha made the appeal in a statement signed by the ministry’s Director of Press and Public Relations, Olajide Oshundun, on Wednesday in Abuja.

The minister said that the Federal Government had consistently taken steps to secure a fair and realistic wage for Nigerian workers.

She, therefore, urged labour to recognise that the nation’s economy is still on the path of recovery from the effect of the pandemic and other economic distress.

“We appeal to organised labour and indeed, other relevant stakeholders to be considerate and patriotic in their demands, recognising that our economy is still recovering from the devastating effects of the pandemic and other global economic shocks.

“We are committed to putting the people first and ensuring that our economic policies benefit all Nigerians, not just a select few.

“The government remains dedicated to prioritising the well-being of our citizens and it 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 revitalise the economy,” she said.

The minister, therefore, said the government recognised that the economic challenges faced by Nigerians were complex and multifaceted, and called for a collective effort of all stakeholders to overcome them.

She added that the meeting with organised labour was a significant step in the ongoing efforts to secure a fair and realistic wage for Nigerian workers.

“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,” she added.

She noted that the increase was a demonstration of government’s willingness to listen to the concerns of labour and work towards a mutually beneficial agreement.

She said, “We understand that the current economic landscape is challenging, and we are doing everything in our power to mitigate its effects on our citizens.”

The Federal Government on Tuesday added a sum of N3,000 to its initially proposed N57,000 minimum wage, making it N60,000.

However, the organised labour insisted on N494,000, removing N3,000 from its earlier N497,000 demand.

The PUNCH reports that labour had earlier proposed a May 31, 2024, deadline for the announcement of the new minimum wage.

A top official of the NLC said Labour had not changed its position that negotiation on the minimum wage should end on Friday.