Thursday’s discussions between President Bola Tinubu and the Organised Labour on the minimum wage have been postponed until next week to allow for more extensive consultations with all stakeholders.
The leadership of the Organised Labour, including Nigeria Labour Congress President Joe Ajaero and Trade Union Congress President Festus Osifo, arrived at the State House around 2:00 pm and met with President Tinubu.
Recently, the Tripartite Committee on the new national minimum wage submitted two proposals to the President: the organised private sector and government team suggested N62,000, while the Organised Labour demanded N250,000.
Due to the disagreement over the figure, the President delayed sending any figure to the National Assembly, opting instead to consult with all relevant stakeholders to resolve the contentious issues.
After the meeting, Ajaero addressed State House correspondents, clarifying that there were no negotiations during the one-hour session. Instead, the discussion focused on the current economic realities in the country.
“In essence, it wasn’t a negotiation but a discussion, and we have agreed to reconvene in the next week after further consultations,” he stated. He also mentioned that the status quo regarding the amounts of N250,000 and N62,000 remains unchanged until further discussions are held.
TUC President Osifo added that the Organised Labour presented all economic indices and their impact on Nigerians. He emphasized that the issues affecting the value of the naira and the prices of commodities were thoroughly discussed.
“Today, we met with the President to discuss the economic challenges facing Nigerians. We presented all our arguments and analyses, both macro and microeconomic,” Osifo explained. “We agreed to internalize these discussions and reconvene in a week.”
Despite the deadlock, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, described the meeting as “fruitful,” highlighting the familial nature of the discussions between the President and the Labour leaders.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, expressed hope for a positive outcome from next week’s talks. He noted that while the government and organised private sector had proposed N62,000, the Organised Labour had yet to accept this offer. Idris believes an agreement will eventually be reached that benefits all Nigerians.
A source familiar with the meeting revealed that President Tinubu urged the Organised Labour to consider the N62,000 offer proposed by the government and the private sector. Tinubu also suggested reviewing the minimum wage every two years instead of five to better reflect economic conditions.
In a statement signed by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu emphasized his concern for the welfare of Nigerian workers and committed to a just and realistic minimum wage.
“A happy worker is a productive worker, and society depends on their productivity,” the President said. He called for realistic expectations, stating, “You have to cut your coat according to the available cloth.”
NLC President Ajaero emphasized the need for an upward adjustment to the minimum wage, acknowledging the economic difficulties faced by Nigerian workers. He also congratulated the President on the Supreme Court’s judgment affirming local government autonomy.
TUC President Osifo pointed out the adverse effects of inflation on the naira’s value and called for the timely implementation of government measures to address rising food and transportation costs. He highlighted that Compressed Natural Gas-powered buses and the suspension of duties on certain food imports would help reduce these costs if properly implemented.
“We commend you on the landmark Supreme Court judgment. This will mark a significant progress for Nigeria,” Osifo concluded.
