The Organised Labour has firmly rejected proposals of ₦62,000 or ₦100,000 as minimum wages, labeling them as “starvation wages” for Nigerian workers. Labour’s demand for a ₦250,000 living wage was reiterated during the latest Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage meeting, according to Naija News.
Chris Onyeka, an Assistant General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), emphasized Labour’s position on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief show. He noted that the one-week grace period given to the Federal Government, starting June 4, 2024, would expire by midnight on June 11, 2024. Should the government and National Assembly fail to meet the workers’ demands by this deadline, the NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) will reconvene to discuss resuming the nationwide industrial action that was previously suspended.
Onyeka reiterated that Labour has never considered accepting ₦62,000 or ₦100,000 as sufficient wages. He stressed that the demand for ₦250,000 is based on the realities of daily living costs in Nigeria. Labour calls for the Federal Government to send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly to establish a National Minimum Wage Act that meets their demands. If no tangible response is received by the deadline, Labour will remove the pause on their industrial action and resume the strike.
When questioned about Labour’s response if the government insists on the ₦62,000 proposal, Onyeka made it clear that Labour’s stance remains unchanged, and they will reactivate their plans for a nationwide strike.
4o