Unions warn that they may resume strike if there is no response to their N250,000 wage demand by tomorrow

NIGERIAN trade unions have vowed to reject an offer of a ₦100,000 minimum wage if it is presented by the federal government threatening that they may resume their nationwide strike tomorrow if an agreement on the proposed N250,000 is not reached.

Over recent months, Nigeria's National Minimum Wage Committee has been working on negotiations regarding a new rate to reflect current economic realities. Nigeria's current minimum wage of N30,000 ($21) is wholly inadequate, especially in the face of the hyper-inflation tearing the country apart, with labour unions asking for an increment that will guarantee workers are paid a living wage.

Late last week, the governors of Nigeria's 36 states under the aegis of the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF), rejected a proposed N60,000 minimum wage by the federal government, saying they could not afford it. Last Tuesday, organised labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) suspended their strike for a week to allow for negotiations to continue but with no solution on the horizon, industrial action may now resume this week..

Speaking on Channels Television, Chris Onyeka,  the NLC assistant general secretary, described proposals of N60,000 and N100,000 as starvation wages. He insisted that labour will not accept the latest government’s offer of ₦62,000, saying that its latest demand as the living wage for an average Nigerian worker remains ₦250,000.

Mr Onyeka said: “Our position is very clear. We have never considered accepting ₦62,000 or any other wage that we know is below what we know can take Nigerian workers home. We will not negotiate a starvation wage.

“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 concessions 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 - a bag of rice, yam, garri, and all of that.”

According to Mr Onyeka, the one-week grace period given to the federal government to review its proposal on Tuesday, June 4, would expire by midnight on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. He said organised labour would meet to decide on the resumption of the nationwide industrial action if the federal government and National Assembly fail to act on workers’ demands by tomorrow.

Mr Onyeka added: “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 them to look at what we have demanded, the various facts of the law and then come up with a National Minimum Act that meets our demands.

“We have given the federal government a one-week notice to look at the issues and that one week expires tomorrow. If after tomorrow, we have not seen any tangible response from the government, the organs of the organised labour will meet to decide on what next.”