The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) have upheld their demands for a N250,000 minimum wage and the N62,000 figure proposed by the tripartite committee, pending further discussions with President Bola Tinubu.
Following the meeting, Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), expressed the union’s steadfast stance on their demand for a minimum wage of N250,000.
Speaking to State House correspondents, Ajaero clarified that the engagement with President Tinubu was more of a discussion rather than formal negotiation.
He noted that while progress was made during the dialogue, further deliberations are slated to resume next week.
“In real sense, it wasn’t a negotiation but a discussion and we have had that discussion. We agreed to look at the real terms probably and reconvene in the next one week.
“So that’s where we are because we didn’t go down there to talk naira and kobo. At least there were some basic issues that we agreed on.”
Asked whether the organized labour insisted on the N250,000 demand at the meeting, the NLC President said, “I remember mentioning that we didn’t go into naria and kobo discussion. Now the status quo in terms of the amount N250,000 and N62,000 remains until we finish this conversation.”
Also speaking, the President of TUC, Comrade Osifo said that the organized labour put all the economic indices on the table and how it was biting on Nigerians.
Fielding questions on the issues you agreed upon at the meeting, he said, “In the meeting we tried to put the issues on the table. Issues that are bordering and bitting Nigerians today, the economic difficulties and the value of naira, how it has also eroded, how these have affected the prices of commodities and goods in the market.
“So, we tried to put these before Mr President because he is the President of the country and the bulk stops at his table.
“We have had all the conversations with all his agents, but today (Thursday) we said let us meet with the father of the country and have this conversation and make the argument that Labour always make.
“We made all the arguments, the economic analysis, macro, micro, fiscal and monetary issues. so we put everything forward and at the end, the President made his remark as the President and we all agreed let’s go back to internalize it, have some conversations and by one week time, we will come back and we will continue the meeting.”