Following the stalemate in negotiations on the new national minimum wage, the Organised Labour has decided to seek guidance from President Bola Tinubu and the National Assembly on its next line of action.
This decision comes after the tripartite committee on the new national minimum wage failed to reach an agreement on Friday, June 8, due to sharp divisions between the employers and organised labour.
Industry experts and financial analysts have noted that the economy is facing significant challenges in its recovery and that the ongoing minimum wage agitation and the return of fuel subsidy will further complicate the process.
The tripartite committee had been negotiating the new national minimum wage, with the Federal Government offering N60,000, which was later increased to N62,000. Organised labour, on the other hand, has been demanding N250,000.
A member of the labour negotiating team stated that the committee has resolved to submit both the N62,000 offer by the Federal Government and the N250,000 demand by organised labour to President Tinubu for further action. The member expressed hope that President Tinubu and the National Assembly will take the necessary steps to address the issues and ensure that Nigerian workers earn a living wage.
The member also expressed disappointment with the negotiating process, stating that there was a high level of conspiracy among the government negotiators, state governors, and the Organised Private Sector (OPS).
The OPS, the member claimed, hid under the guise of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to claim they could not afford reasonable wages. The member also accused state governors of not attending most meetings and secretly meeting with the OPS to scuttle any chance of a reasonable wage.
The member further stated that the Federal Government team did everything to ensure that the negotiations did not move forward, including threats and intimidation.
