Nigeria's labor unions clarify stance on minimum wage, open to adjustments. President Tinubu to decide between ₦62,000 and ₦250,000 proposals. Concerns raised over affordability.
Nigeria's organized labor has clarified its stance on the ongoing minimum wage negotiations, stating that it is not fixated on any specific figure. The tripartite committee on minimum wage concluded its deliberations last week, submitting two proposed figures to President Bola Tinubu for consideration. While the government and the organized private sector proposed a new minimum wage of ₦62,000, organized labor demanded ₦250,000.
However, Festus Osifo, the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), emphasized that no figure is sacrosanct, leaving room for adjustments during the negotiation process. He cited the previous industrial action, where the government refused to budge from the ₦60,000 figure, as a reason for their firm stance this time.
President Tinubu is expected to send an executive bill to the National Assembly for legislative action on the new minimum wage. Osifo stated that labor leaders are making efforts to justify why the President should consider their proposed figure over the government's offer. If the President sends a figure unfavorable to labor, they will approach the lawmakers to push for a more favorable outcome.
Meanwhile, President Tinubu has made it clear that he will only approve a new minimum wage that the government can afford, emphasizing the need to "cut your coat according to your size." Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has warned that not all state governments and the organized private sector can pay the proposed ₦62,000 or the ₦250,000 demanded by labor. He expressed sympathy for President Tinubu, who will bear the responsibility for the consequences of an unsustainable minimum wage.
The discussions for a new minimum wage have lingered for months, with the tripartite committee ending with the two divergent figures last week. The President's decision and the subsequent legislative process will determine the final outcome.
