The organised labour has firmly stated its refusal to accept any minimal addition to the ₦60,000 minimum wage offer proposed by the tripartite committee.
This declaration was made by the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme on Tuesday.
Following a brief industrial action that began on Monday, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the TUC suspended their strike after reaching a preliminary agreement with the Federal Government.
The government assured that President Bola Tinubu is committed to a minimum wage higher than the initially proposed ₦60,000.
When questioned about the potential acceptance of a minor increase to the current offer, Osifo responded decisively, “No, we also told them that it’s not that we’d get to the table and you start adding N1, N2, N3,000 as you were doing, and we got some good guarantees here and there that they would do something good.”
Osifo emphasized that labour is not fixated on the N494,000 figure proposed earlier but stressed the importance of the tripartite committee presenting a serious and economically viable offer.
The new minimum wage must align with the current economic realities and inflationary pressures, reflecting a purchasing power comparable to N30,000 in 2019 and N18,000 in 2014.
While avoiding a specific figure, the TUC president highlighted the necessity for a wage adjustment that accurately reflects the economic conditions faced by workers today.
This stance underscores the labour unions’ commitment to securing a fair and realistic minimum wage for Nigerian workers, ensuring that any agreement reached will provide genuine economic relief and sustainability.