Labour Dismisses ₦62,000 and ₦100,000 Minimum Wages as Insufficient, Hints at Possible Strike Resumption
June 10, 2024 — The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have firmly rejected the proposed minimum wages of ₦62,000 and ₦100,000, deeming them inadequate. They have warned that a nationwide strike, temporarily halted last week, may resume if their demand for a ₦250,000 minimum wage is not met by the Federal Government and the National Assembly by Tuesday.
Chris Onyeka, Assistant General Secretary of the NLC, conveyed this ultimatum during an appearance on Channels Television’s “The Morning Brief” show on Monday. Onyeka emphasized that the labour unions are awaiting a meaningful response from the government, and failure to meet their demands will prompt a meeting of the union organs to decide on further actions.
“The Federal Government and the National Assembly have the call now. It is not our call. Our demand is there for them to look at and send an Executive Bill to the National Assembly, and for the National Assembly to look at what we have demanded, the various facts of the law, and then come up with a National Minimum Wage Act that meets our demands,” Onyeka stated.
He added, “If that does not meet our demand, we have given the Federal Government a one-week notice to look at the issues and that one week expires tomorrow (Tuesday). If after tomorrow, we have not seen any tangible response from the government, the organs of the Organized Labour will meet to decide on what next.”
Onyeka reiterated that the labour unions are not considering any figure below ₦250,000, stressing that the proposed amounts of ₦62,000 and ₦100,000 are unacceptable. “We have never considered accepting ₦62,000 or any other wage that we know is below what we know is able to take Nigerian workers home. We will not negotiate a starvation wage,” he asserted.
“We have never contemplated ₦100,000 let alone ₦62,000. We are still at ₦250,000, that is where we are, and that is what we considered enough concession to the government and the other social partners in this particular situation. We are not just driven by frivolities but the realities of the marketplace; realities of things we buy every day: bag of rice, yam, garri, and all of that,” Onyeka explained.
The labour unions had previously relaxed their indefinite strike to allow for negotiations, but with the deadline looming and no satisfactory response from the government, the prospect of renewed industrial action is becoming increasingly likely. The outcome of the government’s response in the next 24 hours will be crucial in determining whether the nation faces further disruptions.
This development underscores the ongoing tension between the labour unions and the government, as both sides grapple with finding a sustainable solution to the wage crisis amidst rising living costs and economic challenges.
