President Bola Tinubu will meet with the Organised Labour in Abuja on Thursday to further discuss a new minimum wage for workers in Nigeria.
A top labour source informed newsmen that the President invited the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to a meeting at the Aso Villa in the nation’s capital city.
The President is expected to make a decision on the ₦62,000 proposal from the government and private sector, as well as the ₦250,000 demand from the Organised Labour.
This meeting follows President Tinubu’s announcement on Democracy Day, June 12, 2024, that an executive bill on the new national minimum wage would soon be sent to the National Assembly for passage.
On June 25, the Federal Executive Council (FEC), chaired by the President, postponed deliberations on the new minimum wage memo to allow for more stakeholder engagement.
Two days later, at the 141st meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), Tinubu and Vice President Kassim Shettima met with governors from the 36 states and ministers to discuss the new minimum wage.
Discussions on a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers have been ongoing. The Minimum Wage Act of 2019, which set the wage at ₦30,000, expired in April 2024 and is due for review every five years to align with economic demands.
In January, President Tinubu established a Tripartite Committee to negotiate a new minimum wage, including members from the Organised Labour, federal and state governments, and the Organised Private Sector.
However, the committee failed to reach an agreement, prompting labour to declare an indefinite industrial action on June 3, 2024. The strike disrupted businesses, shutting down airports, hospitals, the national grid, banks, and government complexes.
The labour unions argued that the current ₦30,000 minimum wage is insufficient for the average Nigerian worker, citing economic pressures, inflation, and the impacts of petrol subsidy removal and forex unification policies.
The strike was “relaxed” on June 4, 2024, after President Tinubu assured a wage above ₦60,000. Subsequent talks resumed between the TUC, NLC, and representatives of the Federal Government, states, and the Organised Private Sector.
