Organised labour in Nigeria vows to down tools, gives reasons

Organised Labour in Nigeria has given the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu led government until the end of May to finalise the process of implementing the new national minimum wage for workers or face dire consequences.

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Mr. Joe Ajaero made the demand in his 2024 International Workers Day speech.

This year’s celebration focuses on ‘Ensuring Safety and Health at Work in a Changing Climate’.

Comrade Ajaero noted that fixing a new national minimum wage was still ongoing and had witnessed robust engagements, adding that all parties in the tripartite process are well represented and the engagement has been robust.

He, however, threatened that if “the negotiation of the minimum wage is not concluded by the end of May, the trade union movement in Nigeria will no longer guarantee industrial peace in the country.”

The Nigerian government recently approved salary increments for civil servants under its payroll.

The salary increment ranges from 25 percent to 35 percent across the remaining six consolidated salary structures.

It also increased between 20 percent and 28 percent for pensioners on the Defined Benefits Scheme for six consolidated salary structures, with effect from January 1, 2024.

Despite this, labour unions in the country said the increments are not in tandem with their wishes and the realities of Nigerian workers, who have been severely impacted by inflation and now fuel scarcity, which have driven up prices of food, transportation, and other services.