The Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage will reconvene on Tuesday, May 23, to continue negotiations on a new minimum wage after Organized Labour walked out of talks on May 15.
The chairman of the committee, Bukar Goni, sent an invitation letter to labour leaders indicating that other committee members are willing to reconsider their initial proposal of N48,000.
The letter urged labour leaders to speak to their members and attend the reconvened meeting.
The Organized Labour, consisting of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has proposed a new minimum wage of N615,000, significantly higher than the government’s proposal of N48,000. The organized private sector initially offered N54,000.
Following the breakdown in negotiations, Labour leaders held a press conference expressing their frustration with the Federal Government’s and the private sector’s offers, blaming them for the failed talks.
May 31 Deadline
The Federal Government failed to present a nationally acceptable minimum wage by May 1, Labour Day, leading to increased tensions.
NLC President Joe Ajaero has insisted on the N615,000 minimum wage, citing the high cost of living and the needs of an average Nigerian family.
Ajaero and labour leaders have given the Federal Government a May 31 deadline to meet their demands.
On January 30, Vice President Kashim Shettima inaugurated the 37-member tripartite committee to come up with a new minimum wage.
The committee includes representatives from federal and state governments, the private sector, and organized labor.
The Vice President emphasized the importance of a timely resolution and early submission of their report.
“This timely submission is crucial to ensure the emergence of a new minimum wage,” Shettima said during the committee’s inauguration.
The urgency for a new minimum wage has been heightened by the rising cost of living, exacerbated by the recent removal of the fuel subsidy. Calls for an increased minimum wage continue to dominate headlines in Nigeria.
The 37-member committee, chaired by former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation Goni Aji, is tasked with finding a solution acceptable to all parties involved.
