The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have stepped away from minimum wage negotiations following the Federal Government's offer of N48,000, a figure significantly lower than the unions' demand of N615,000.
Expressing their dissatisfaction with the offer, the labour leaders convened an emergency press conference, denouncing it as an affront to Nigerian workers' dignity.
This marks the second deadlock in negotiations within two weeks, as the previous session on April 29 ended inconclusively with organised labour insisting on the N615,000 minimum wage.
The disagreement stems from the government's view that the unions' demand is unreasonable, prompting the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, to justify the N615,000 figure. Ajaero explained the breakdown, accounting for various living expenses such as housing, utilities, food, healthcare, education, and transportation.
Following the latest impasse, Ajaero disclosed that while the Federal Government proposed N48,000, the organised private sector offered N54,000 initially.
He criticized both the government and private sector for their actions, attributing the breakdown to their less-than-reasonable positions. Ajaero emphasized that the government's offer not only falls short of meeting workers' needs but also undermines prevailing standards in the private sector.
He also highlighted the disparity between the proposed minimum wage and the existing standards, indicating a lack of willingness on the part of employers and the government to negotiate a fair wage.
Ajaero further accused the government of failing to provide sufficient data to support its offer, which he argued undermined the credibility of the negotiation process.
In conclusion, he asserted that as representatives of Nigerian workers, they cannot accept a proposal that would result in a reduction in income for federal-level workers already receiving N30,000, augmented by allowances.
