Private Sector Accepts FG N60,000 Minimum Wage, Gives Reason

• The leadership of the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria has revealed its stance on the government's decision to pay Nigerian workers N60,000 minimum wage
• Ajayi Kadri, MAN DG, also disclosed private sector's stance on minimum wage and how labour's decision to embark on an indefinite strike action will cripple the economy, "considering the period we are in"
• He made a strong appeal to the leadership of the NLC and the TUC as he backed the federal government's latest decision and offer to labour

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

The director-general of the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN), Ajayi Kadri, has confirmed that the organised private sector (OPS) accepted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's proposal for a new minimum wage of N60,000.

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The MAN DG clarified that ongoing negotiations between the government, the private sector, and labour were focused on establishing a minimum wage rather than a living wage, which represents the lowest amount that can be paid to any worker in the country.

MAN backs Tinubu's N60,000 wage offer

Ajayi disclosed this during an interview with Channels TV in Abuja on Saturday, June 1.

He stressed that both labour and private businesses have been facing significant economic challenges, making it extremely difficult for them to meet the wage demands put forward by labour unions.

Ajayi-Kadir, appealed to the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to reconsider its decision to embark on a nationwide strike from Monday, June 3rd, over the tripartite committee’s inability to agree on a new minimum wage.

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Strike: MAN appeals to NLC, TUC

The MAN DG who is on the part of the organised private sector in the tripartite committee, said he does not believe that the labour walking out of discussions and declaring strike would help matters.

Ajayi-Kadir stated thus:

“To start with, this is a very difficult time for anyone to negotiate minimum wage.We cannot afford to cripple the economy when all we needed to do was continue to build it. I think President Tinubu was very clear when he emerged as president that these are not going to be easy times and I think we needed to tighten our belts to deliver on economy that we know has been seriously battered,” Ajayi-Kadir said.

“Of course, government on its own side has to demonstrate leadership, sensitivity and sense of mind as well as sense of occasion of the period that we are in.

“So, government expenditure, government choices of what needed to be done, how much to be spent, the cost of governance itself, all of it has to come to the table.

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“I think what labour is actually worried about is that they appear to be the ones on the brunt of it but we needed to be able to engage, walking out on the process and declaring strike, I do not think that that is what is going to solve this issue.”

Minimum wage: FG reacts as labour declares indefinite strike

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the federal government pleaded with organised labour to reconsider its decision to embark on an indefinite strike.

The minister of information and national orientation, Idris Mohammed, on Saturday, June 1, noted that industrial action was not the solution to the ongoing negotiation for a new minimum wage for workers.

He said: “The FG has already made an offer of N60,000, and whatever the government does is in the interest of Nigerians.”

Source: Legit.ng