Organized Labour has announced plans to hold an emergency meeting to decide their next course of actions as the national minimum wage tripartite committee submits its report to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Benson Upah, spokesperson for the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), disclosed this in an exclusive interview.
He stated that the outcome of the meeting will determine whether organized Labour will resume its strike action in the coming days.
According to Upah, “The appropriate organs of the two unions will meet, and once they do, whatever decision they make will be communicated to the public.”
However, he did not disclose the specific date for the meeting.
Following the Monday meeting of the minimum wage tripartite committee, the federal government proposed N62,000 as the minimum wage, while organized Labour insisted on N250,000.
The report includes minimum wage proposals of N57,000 from state governors and N62,000 from the organized private sector.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation confirmed receiving the tripartite committee report on Monday.
Attention now turns to President Tinubu, who is expected to act on the report and submit an executive bill in the minimum wage to the National Assembly ahead of June 13. Nigeria’s Democracy Day celebrations.
Meanwhile, NKC President Joe Ajaero, speaking at the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, ruled out resuming the strike on Tuesday. He stated that organized Labour is waiting for Oresidebt Tinubu’s decision on the report submitted by the tripartite committee.
”We are waiting for the decision of the President. Our National Executive Council (NEC) will deliberate on the new figure when it is out,” he stated.
Recall that organized labour suspended last Monday’s indefinite strike, which had shut down the country’s economy for a week.
The federal government had previously proposed a minimum wage of N60,000 which organized Labour rejected. The new offer of N62,000 is only N2,000 more than the previous one. NLC President Joe Ajaero noted that the difference between the government’s N62,000 offer and labour’s proposed N25,000 minimum wage is substantial.