N35,000 wage award continues until a new minimum wage is agreed – NLC President

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, has said that the N35,000 wage award agreement with the Federal Government will continue until a new minimum wage is determined.

Ajaero said this in an interview with newsmen on Monday in Abuja.

President Bola Tinubu, on October 1, 2023, had approved N35,000 as the provisional wage increment for all Treasury-paid workers for six months.

The wage award was part of an agreement reached with organised labour to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy.

However, the federal government has only paid two months of the wage award that commenced in September 2023.

While speaking against the backdrop of the payment of the wage award, Ajaero said the payment would run for only six months before the commencement of the national minimum wage.

“We did not sign a six-month wage agreement with the Federal Government; we signed a wage agreement that will be in existence until the new minimum wage is determined.

“We are in the process of collating the compliance of the federal government on the payment of the wage award, and we have even had a conversation with the leadership of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, on this.

“We have asked our affiliates to collate the level of compliance with this, and we are still waiting for their correspondence,” he added.