NLC/TUC Vows to Reject Small Addition to N60K as Minimum Wage, Details Emerge

• The TUC has vowed to reject little addition to the N60,000 new minimum wage if that is what the Bola Ahmed Tinubu's government will offer
• Legit.ng reports that TUC President Festus Osifo disclosed this on Tuesday, June 5 during an interview
• The organised labour — the NLC and TUC — have been at loggerheads with the Nigerian government over the failure to reach a consensus on a new minimum wage for workers in the country

Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering governance and public journalism.

FCT, Abuja - The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have vowed to reject any paltry addition to the minimum wage the apex government is proposing.

Recall that the Bola Tinubu-led government had raised its minimum wage offer from N57,000 to N60,000 while the labour unions reduced their demand to N494,000 from N497,000 proposed earlier.

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After the NLC and TUC went on a strike that shook the country, the FG on Monday, June 3, offered to pay above N60,000 as minimum wage.

Speaking in an interview with Channels Television on Tuesday night, June 4, monitored by Legit.ng, Festus Osifo, president of the TUC, said the organised labour wants a reasonable increment.

His words:

“At the meeting on Friday, they (the tripartite committee) said they would not add anything more to the N60,000 but in the meeting of yesterday (Monday, June 3), Mr President (Bola Tinubu) was able to commit to doing what is more than N60,000."

Asked whether labour would accept a few thousand naira additions to the last offer of the tripartite committee set up to negotiate a new national minimum wage, the TUC helmsman said:

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Minimum wage strike: Organised labour takes decision on FG’s payment of N494,000

“No! We also told them that it is not that we would get to the table and you start adding N1, N2, N3,000 as you were doing and we got some good guarantees here and there that they would do something good.”

Although the union leader refused to mention a specific amount, he stated that the new minimum wage must be equal in purchasing power to the value of N30,000 in 2019 and N18,000 in 2014.

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• Labour cries out as soldiers surround minimum wage negotiation venue

Minimum wage negotiation: Osifo discloses ‘achievements’

Legit.ng earlier reported that Osifo said the organised labour never wanted to go on strike but their hands were forced.

Osifo also stated that the meeting with the federal government on Monday, June 3, was able to achieve two items: an increase in the FG's 60,000 proposal and a week for execution.

Source: Legit.ng