Discontinue Strike, FG Begs Striking Labour Union
The Federal Government has appealed to the Labour Unions to discontinue their ongoing strike and return to the negotiating table to fashion out a new and realistic minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
In a statement signed by Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, the Government acknowledged the demands of the Labour Unions but expressed concern over the potential crippling effect of the proposed N494,000 minimum wage on the Nigerian economy.
“As l have explained earlier, Labour’s current proposal of N494,000 is an increase of 1,547 percent on the existing wage, and translates into an annual wage bill of N9.5 Trillion for the Federal Government of Nigeria alone,” Idris said in the statement released on Monday, June 3, 2024. “Such a wage bill would cripple the Nigerian economy, by leading to massive job loss, especially in the private sector,” he added.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) had embarked on an indefinite strike on Monday after negotiation regarding a new minimum wage with the federal government ended in a deadlock on Sunday evening.
With the strike, several government ministries, schools, banks, as well as the national grid, were shut down.
For weeks, negotiations between the Federal Government and Labour Unions regarding a new minimum wage that would address the country’s current economic challenges have stalled. Initially, the Nigeria Labour Congress proposed N615,500 and later N497,000, while the Federal Government proposed N48,000. Although the government increased their offer to N60,000, talks between the parties failed on Sunday after the Labour Unions demanded N494,000 as the new wage.
Although the government has rejected Labour’s proposed N494,000 minimum wage as unfeasible, it has assured the Union of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s (GCFR) commitment to negotiating a wage that is fair, reasonable, and sustainable.”
