Minimum wage: Labour rejects FG’s offer, warns against impending industrial crisis

Ukpono Ukpong, Abuja

Following the stalemated discussion between the National Public Service Negotiating Council and the Federal Government on the relativity and consequential adjustment of salaries arising from the national minimum wage of N30,000 per month, the leadership of the organised labour under the auspices of Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) has said that what the government is offering is far too small to be acceptable.

In a letter jointly signed by the NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba and TUC President, Comrade Quadri Olaleye, and addressed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, in reaction to the letter written by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council dated 16/07/19 and referenced JNPSNC/TUS/VOL.V/402, the Congress said that in the immediate past exercise, 53 per cent relativity was used across board, hence, expressed dismay over the needless stalemate.

“We would wish to express our concern and dismay about this needless stalemate.

“We are however worried by this stalemate, and must in all honesty, point out that what the government is offering is far too small to be acceptable,” the Congress said.

While commending President Muhammadu Buhari for setting up this committee, the Congress said that the resort to unnecessary obduracy by the government’s team is neither helpful nor reflective of precedence.

“The Congress stressed that the option of a staggered implementation conveyed in a press statement by the Chairman of the Salaries and Wages Commission is similarly not in good faith, for the notion of staggered implementation is both divisive and catastrophic. It is important to note that the national minimum wage has always been implemented holistically in acknowledgement of the fact that we all go to the same market.

“In light of this and the need to head off a major industrial crisis, we would urge you to do all that is necessary to ensure that the meeting of the Committee is reconvened with NLC and TUC,” the Congress added.