New Minimum Wage: Tinubu’s Decision As NLC, TUC Declares Nationwide Strike

The federal government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pleaded with organised labour to reconsider its decision to embark on an indefinite strike from Monday, June 3, 2024. ..Read Full Article

Recall that the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria

(TUC) declared an indefinite nationwide strike on Friday, May 31.

The NLC president, Comrade Joe Ajaero, said the decision to embark on an indefinite strike was due to the federal government’s failure to increase the minimum wage from N60,000 and reverse the electricity tariff hike.

While labour is demanding N494,000 as the new minimum wage, the tripartite committee on a new national minimum wage proposed N60,000, noting labour is unrealistic and Tinubu is running a bloated civil service.

In a swift reaction, the federal government stressed that the interest of the masses should be the top priority of organised labour.

The minister of information and national orientation, Idris Mohammed, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with The Punch on Saturday, June 1.

While describing the NLC and the TUC as partners in Project Nigeria, Mohammed noted that industrial action was not the solution to the ongoing negotiation for a new minimum wage for workers.

Speaking further, the information minister, on behalf of the federal government, pleaded with organized labour to shelve its planned strike.

Speaking with Saturday Punch, he said:

“The government is pleading with Labour to reconsider its position. The FG has already made an offer of N60,000, and whatever the government does is in the interest of Nigerians.

“We won’t like to do something that will throw the country into another problem.

“Even as we do that, we are pleading with Labour. They are partners in this project called ‘Nigeria’ and we expect them to join hands with the FG as it strives to look for solutions that will take Nigeria to the desired prosperity.”

A source at the meeting told the press that negotiations hit the brick wall when the government and the organized private sector remained adamant on the N60,000 offer they made on Tuesday.