Discussions between the Federal Government and the Organised Labour, yesterday, over the new national minimum wage did not yield a consensus, prompting both parties to adjourn till week.
On Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu invited the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to a meeting at the State House to further discuss the much-anticipated new minimum wage for workers.
Daily Sun gathered that at the end of the meeting, no agreement was reached as both parties stuck to their positions. While Labour unions argued for a new wage that would reflect the current economic challenges, the government and private sector insisted that they can only afford N62,000.
The parties will return in seven days to continue discussion on the minimum wage. This was disclosed by NLC President, Joe Ajaero and his TUC, Festus Osifo, after about an hour meeting with President Tinubu.
Speaking with the leadership of the unions, President Tinubu said Nigerian workers deserve improved welfare, better wages as well as safe and enhanced working conditions as the driving force of the nation.
According to a statement issued by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the President said he was concerned about the welfare of workers and his administration prioritising their concerns.
“I pay attention to everything around me. A happy worker is a productive worker. And society depends on the productivity of the happy worker.”
However, he called for realistic expectations as regards the minimum wage question, stating: “You have to cut your coat according to available cloth. Before we can finalize on the minimum wage process, we have to look at the structure. Why must we adjust wages every five years? Why not two? Why not three years? What is a problem today, can be eased up tomorrow. There is much dynamism to this process if we are not myopic in our approaches. We can take a surgical approach that is based on pragmatism and a deep understanding of all factors.”
In his remarks, the NLC President, Ajaero, reportedly emphasised the need for an upward adjustment to the minimum wage, noting: “Between living wage and minimum wage, we need to find a balance. Things are difficult for the Nigerian worker.”
He told newsmen that the meeting was not a negotiation but a discussion but agreement was reached on basic issues.
“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 if organised labour was still insisting on N250,000, Ajaero said: “I remember mentioning that we didn’t go into naira and kobo discussion. Now the status quo in terms of the amount N250,000 and N62,000 remains until we finish this conversation.”
The TUC President, Osifo, responding to a question on what issues they agreed on, said: “In the meeting we tried to put the issues on the table. Issues that are bordering and biting 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 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, we will internalize it, we will have some conversations and in one week time, we will come back and we will continue the meeting.”
Osifo said inflation has adversely affected the value of the naira and that the measures initiated by the government to address the rising cost of food and transportation need to kick in to give citizens relief.
He said the rollout of Compressed Natural Gas-powered buses will help in checking the high cost of transportation, while the recent directive on the suspension of duty on certain food imports will bring down the prices of food items, if properly implemented.
Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, who briefed State House Correspondents alongside the labour leaders, described the meeting as a father, children discussion, addiang that it was a fruitful one.
“I think we are hopeful that very soon everything will be resolved. Of course, when father and children talk you know what it is. That’s just exactly what has happened. It took us almost about an hour. I believe that it’s all for good.”
Also, Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, expressed optimism that there would be a positive result after next week’s meeting.
“Recall that already there is N62,000 that has been put out there from the government side and the organized private sector but the organized labour is still not accepting that but we know that they will come to the table, we know that this is something that is going to be workable for Nigerians.
“The organised labour and the government will reach an agreement. We have adjourned now for a week. The Labour union has asked the government to allow them at least a week to discuss further and we have allowed them. We’re going to reconvene in the next one week and we hope and we believe by the end of day, we’ll have something that is good for all Nigerians.
“We do hope that by the time we come together again next week, we’ll have something that we can put out for Nigerians to see and to agree with.”
However, a source privy to the meeting said President Tinubu urged the organised labour to consider the N62,000 offered by the Federal Government and the organised private sector offered.
He reportedly narrated what led to the subsidy removal and how Nigeria was feeding her neighbours and was suffering.
“President Tinubu suggested that instead of waiting for five years to review the minimum wage, we can continue to dialogue and see the possibility of reviewing it every two years.
“He also said that the Organised Labour should consider the N62,000 offer because it is double of the N30,000 we were paying.”
The source explained that when the NLC president reminded Tinubu that it would amount to wage reduction if the organised labour accepted N62,000 as the least paid worker currently go home with N72,000 (including wage award and 40 percent increase), Tinubu laughed.
Credit: The Sun