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Minimum wage: Committee adjourns to allow Edun present template

Newspointer June 6, 2024

By Sani Mu’azu

The Tripartite Committee on the new National Minimum Wage adjourned its meeting yesterday to allow the government team to provide a template as directed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

A source close to the negotiations said the committee the members would reconvene today.

The compilation of the figures as directed on Tuesday by the President was part of the reasons the two Labour centres–Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress(TUC) called off their strike that led to a nationwide blackout on Monday.

Before yesterday, Labour was demanding N494,000 while the Federal Government and the organised private sector offered N60,000.

The source said: “The meeting was adjourned to give time to the Minister of Finance to meet the 48 hours deadline given to him to present cost implications to the President.

“We just discussed general things today(yesterday). We decided to give him time to carry out the directive of the President. We believe the template must have been presented to the President so that the negotiations can resume tomorrow(today).”

Yesterday, a former Director- General of the Voice of Nigeria, Osita Okechukwu, described the N494,000 demanded by Labour as ‘’unrealistic.’’

Okechukwu advised against increasing the minimum wage to a level that it could worsen the nation’s current financial challenge.

A socio-political group, Yoruba Leaders of Thought, however, commended the leadership of organised labour and the Federal Government for handling the wage negotiation with utmost caution and a sense of patriotism.

The Tajudeen Olusi-led group said that it was heart- warming that national interests were taken into consideration in determining the way forward by both parties.

It called on the negotiating committee to “endeavour to be fair to one and all such that everyone may reap some benefits from the sacrifices that we all have made collectively these past months following the hike in prices of oil and the floating of the exchange rate.”

Bishop of Ibadan North Anglican Diocese Williams Aladekugbe appealed to the NLC and TUC leadership to make their demand realistic in the interest of the nation.

He also called on Nigerian leaders to make the fear of God and righteousness their watchwords.

Aladekugbe spoke shortly after a service to celebrate his 60th birthday at the Cathedral of St Peter, Aremo, Ibadan.

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