Labour says no to ₦62,000 or ₦100,000 as minimum wage, may strike again on Tuesday.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the proposal of ₦62,000 or ₦100,000 as the minimum wage, labeling it a “starvation wage.” Assistant General Secretary of NLC, Cheis Onyeka, clarified on Channels TV that the labor unions refuse to consider any wage that falls below what is sufficient for Nigerian workers.
“We have never entertained the idea of accepting ₦62,000 or any amount lower than what can adequately sustain Nigerian workers. Our stance remains at ₦250,000, which we believe is a reasonable concession. We base our demands on the everyday realities of the market and the cost of essential goods,” Onyeka stated.
The grace period given to the Federal Government last Tuesday, June 4, 2024, expires at midnight on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. Onyeka emphasized that if the government and National Assembly fail to address the workers’ demands by this deadline, the NLC and TUC will convene to decide on resuming the nationwide industrial action suspended last week.
“The ball is in the court of the Federal Government and the National Assembly. We’ve given them our demands and expect them to act accordingly by sending an Executive Bill to the National Assembly. If they fail to meet our demands, we’ll proceed with our planned action,” Onyeka explained.
Regarding the possibility of the government insisting on ₦62,000, Onyeka stated that the decision lies with the labor unions’ governing organs. If they decide to remove the pause on the strike, the situation would revert to its previous state.