Fresh strike looms as organised labour unions set to meet after FG steps down report on new wage
Nigeria faces the possibility of another nationwide strike as organised labour unions in Nigeria are set to meet later on Wednesday for an emergency meeting after the Federal Executive Council’s decision to step down the memorandum on the report of the Tripartite Committee on New National Minimum Wage.
The unions comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) denounced the failure of the government to consider the memo during Tuesday’s meeting, adding that stepping down the tripartite committee report “creates room for injurious speculation.”
The Nigerian government, according to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, stepped down the memorandum on the new minimum wage to allow for more consultations between President Bola Tinubu, state governors, local government authorities, and the private sector.
He argued that the Federal Government is not the sole stakeholder in the national minimum wage dispute, hence the need for wider consultations.
“That memo was stepped down to enable Mr. President to consult further, especially with the state governors and organized private sector, before he makes a presentation to the National Assembly, and before an executive bill is presented to the National Assembly.
“So I want to state that on the new national minimum wage, Mr. President is going to consult further, so he can have an informed position because the new national minimum wage, like I said, is not just an issue of the Federal Government.
“It affects the state governments, it affects the local governments, it also affects the organized private sector, and that is why it is called national minimum wage. It’s not just an affair of the Federal Government.
“So, Mr. President has studied the report and he’s going to consult wider before a final submission is made to the National Assembly.”
The decision has not gone down well with the labour unions, leading to a call for an emergency meeting to decide the next line of action.
The Vanguard quoted the NLC’s General Secretary, Emmanuel Ugboaja, who said: “We are waiting for them. One thing is clear and that is the era of paying slave wages is gone.
Recall that Nigeria’s two main organised unions had recently shut down the national grid and disrupted flights across the country as they enforced an indefinite strike over the government’s failure to agree a new minimum wage.
The strike was suspended in order to continue negotiations with the government over a new minimum wage after reforms in the West African nation caused inflation to grow, worsening a cost of living crisis.
