Labour unions pull out of minimum wage negotiations after derisory offer from Nigerian government

ORGANISED labour has pulled out of the ongoing minimum wage negotiations with Nigeria's federal government after ministers and private sector employers submitted two bids of N48,000 and N54,000 which the trade unions dismissed as ridiculous.

Labour unions and government ministers have been locked in intense negotiations over a new minimum wage over recent as the current N30,000 per month is totally untenable.  Unions had originally demanded N1m a month but were always unlikely to get that amount as it appears to be beyond the government's reach.

Of late, labour leaders recently settled for N615,000 for lowest ranked workers but there have been indications the tripartite committee set up by the government may recommend N70,000 as the new minimum wage. Earlier today, the federal government and the organized private sector (OPS), made an offer of N48,000 and N54,000 respectively.

Infuriated by that they see as a derisory and insulting offer the trade unions have decided to pull out of the tripartite committee. Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) spokesman Benson Upah, confirmed that his organisation will no longer be participating in any talks on the minimum wage.

Mr Upah said: “Yes we are out. We are about to address the press and you will get the details then."

Believing that their offer was reasonable, the  OPS said none of its members pays less than N78,000 at the moment anyway. However, the trade unions had given the federal government up until May 31 to conclude negotiations on new living wage.

With the latest offer appearing to have now scuttled the process, the NLC and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria may call for industrial action. Apparently, this latest offer was presented to the unions by He said that the government offer was presented to them by the permanent secretary in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, one of the NLC representatives, added:  “We asked whether the N48,000 is for transport, food, clothing, housing or for what. So we just told them that since they are not serious, we better just leave, so we stormed out of the place.”