The meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of organized labour regarding the new minimum wage was adjourned to next week after about an hour of discussions at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Comrade Joe Ajaero, and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) President, Comrade Festus Osifo, arrived at the State House around 2 pm and proceeded to the President’s office.
Recently, the Tripartite Committee on the new national minimum wage submitted two figures to President Tinubu: N62,000 proposed by the organized private sector and the government team, and N250,000 demanded by organized labour.
The President has withheld sending any figure to the National Assembly, opting to consult with relevant stakeholders to resolve the disagreements.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, NLC President Ajaero clarified that the meeting was a discussion on the current economic realities in the country rather than a negotiation.
“In real sense, it wasn’t a negotiation but a discussion and we have had that discussion. We agreed to look at the real terms probably and reconvene in the next one week,” he said.
When asked if organized labour insisted on their N250,000 demand, Ajaero responded, “I remember mentioning that we didn’t go into naira and kobo discussion. Now the status quo in terms of the amount N250,000 and N62,000 remains until we finish this conversation.”
TUC President Osifo emphasized the economic challenges facing Nigerians, stating, “We tried to put the issues on the table. Issues that are bordering and biting Nigerians today, the economic difficulties and the value of naira, how it has also eroded, how these have affected the prices of commodities and goods in the market.
We made all the arguments, the economic analysis, macro, micro, fiscal, and monetary issues.”
Minister of Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, described the meeting as fruitful, likening it to a family discussion.
“It is a fruitful meeting, father, children meeting. I think we are hopeful that very soon everything will be resolved,” she said.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, expressed optimism for a positive outcome from the next meeting.
“We have adjourned now for a week. The labour union has asked the government to allow them at least a week to discuss this further and we have allowed them.
We’re going to reconvene next week and we hope and we believe by the end of the day, we’ll have something good for all Nigerians,” he stated.
A source privy to the meeting disclosed that President Tinubu urged organized labour to consider the N62,000 offer from the federal government and the organized private sector.
The President also suggested that instead of waiting for five years to review the minimum wage, there could be a dialogue to explore the possibility of reviewing it every two years.
