The Federal Government has revealed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is committed to a new minimum wage that is more than N60,000.
This was disclosed on Monday night after the conclusion of the emergency meeting involving the government’s representatives which included Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume and leaders of the Organized Labour.
Punch Metro reported that the representatives of the federal government and the organized labour leaders were forced into an emergency meeting after an indefinite strike over new minimum wage deadlock which began on Monday and grounded airports, the national grid which led to nationwide blackout, hospitals, the national assembly, amongst other activities.
At the end of the meeting the government, in a statement, said that the administration of President Bola Tinubu was committed to paying more than N60,000 as minimum wage, no worker would be victimized because of the strike and the tripartite committee would meet every day for the next one week.
The resolution was jointly signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; President, of Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero; and the President, of Trade Union Congress, Festus Osifo.
The statement read, “The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria is committed to a National Minimum Wage that is higher than N60,000.
“Arising from the above, the Tripartite Committee is to meet every day for the next one week with a view to arriving at an agreeable National Minimum Wage.
“Labour in deference to the high esteem of the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s commitment in (ii) above undertakes to convene a meeting of its organs immediately to consider this commitment; and IV. No worker would be victimized as a result of the industrial action.”
This publication reported that the labour union on Friday announced an indefinite nationwide strike which began at midnight on Sunday, June 2, 2024, after a deadlock with the Tinubu-led government following a N60,000 minimum wage proposal which fell short of the almost half-a-million naira demand of the labour leaders.
Recall that the labour leaders began the wage demand with N494,000 before reducing it by N3,000 from the previous N497,000 but unfortunately, the government negotiated an initial N57,000 before adjusting its wage proposal to N60,000 leading to a deadlock and an eventual nationwide strike.
