…Says N48,000 Minimum Wage Proposed By FG An Insult To Nigerian Workers
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have pulled out of the Minimum Wage Tripartite Committee.
The development followed an earlier proposal of N48,000 as minimum wage for Nigerians by the Federal Government.
Recall that THE WHISTLER had reported that the unions will meet with the federal government today, to commence discussion after an earlier proposal of N615,000 as minimum wage for Nigerians.
However, the meeting was halted when the Organised Labour walked out describing the federal government’s Organised Private Sector (OPS) proposal as a “disappointment” despite earnest efforts to reach an equitable agreement.
Briefing Newsmen after the meeting, the Labour leaders said, “The Government’s proposal of a paltry N48,000 as the Minimum Wage does not only insult the sensibilities of Nigerian workers but also falls significantly short of meeting our needs and aspirations.
“In contrast, the Organised Private Sector (OPS) proposed an initial offer of N54,000 though it is worth noting that even the least paid workers in the private sector receive N78,000 as clearly stated by the OPS.”
The unions noted that the government’s failure to provide any substantiated data to support their offer exacerbates the situation.
“This lack of transparency and good faith undermines the credibility of the negotiation process and erodes trust between the parties involved.
“As representatives of Nigerian workers, we cannot in good conscience accept a wage proposal that would result in a reduction in income for federal-level workers who are already receiving N30,000 augmented by Buhari’s 40 per cent Peculiar allowance (N12,000) and the N35,000 wage award, totalling N77,000 only.
In light of these developments, and to prevent the negotiation of a wage deduction, the union resulted in opting out of the tripartite committee.
“The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have decided to walk out of the negotiation process. We remain committed to advocating for the rights and interests of Nigerian workers and will continue to engage in reasonable dialogue with the Government if they show serious commitment to find a fair and sustainable resolution to this impasse”.