Organized Labour are ready to drop their demands for the new minimum wage to N500,000.
This comes as the zonal public hearing on the new wage structure begins on Thursday (today) in Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, and Abuja.
President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, while speaking on Arise TV on February 11, said that if the ongoing inflation continued, organised labour might push for a new minimum wage of up to N1m for Nigerian workers.
However, a top official of the NLC, who told Punch on Thursday said based on proposals submitted by state chapters to the congress’ headquarters, the organised Labour might push for N500,000 at today’s meeting.
The public hearing on the new minimum wage, which will be held simultaneously in all six geopolitical zones, is expected to receive inputs from organised Labour, state governors, ministers, civil society groups, and the organised private sector on a new minimum wage reflective of the current economic realities and the workers’ aspirations.
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, will chair the meeting in the North-East taking place in Yola, the Adamawa State capital.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, will preside over the South-West hearing taking place in Lagos.
President Bola Tinubu through his deputy, Kashim Shettima, on January 30, 2024, inaugurated a 37-member panel on the new minimum wage at the Council Chamber of the State House in Abuja.
With its membership cutting across the federal and state governments, the private sector, and labour, the panel is to recommend a new national minimum wage for the country on or before April 1 following the expiration of the current N30,000 minimum wage as provided by the law.
Though the tripartite committee met a few times in Abuja, it has yet to deliberate on any figure for the minimum wage.
However, the President of the NLC, Ajaero, in an interview on Arise TV on February 11, stated that if the ongoing inflation continued unabated, organised labour might push for a new minimum wage of up to N1m for Nigerian workers.