TINUBU COMMITS TO PAYING MINIMUM WAGE ABOVE N60,000 AS GOVERNMENT, LABOUR REACH AGREEMENT

The Federal Government and organized labour have reached an agreement that could potentially end the ongoing strike.

This was revealed after a closed-door session that lasted seven hours between the workers’ union leaders and government representatives, led by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.

One of the key points of the agreement was that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s commitment to paying a minimum wage that is above N60,000.

Last week, the government had proposed N60,000 as the minimum wage, a figure that was rejected and ultimately led to the ongoing industrial action.

The agreement was formalized in a communique signed by government officials, including the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Hon. Neiruka Onyejeocha, and union leaders, including the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and the President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo.

The communique also outlined a plan for the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage (NMW) and Organised labour to meet daily for the next week to reach a mutually acceptable National Minimum Wage.

In a statement, the communique noted, “Following the intervention of the National Assembly on 2nd June, 2024, and the nationwide strike declared by Organised Labour on Monday, 3rd June, 2024, the Federal Government, in the interest of the nation, convened a meeting with Labour to end the strike action.”

“After extensive deliberations, the following resolutions were reached:

– The President is committed to a National Minimum Wage higher than N60,000.

– The Tripartite Committee will meet daily for the next week to agree on a National Minimum Wage.

– Labour will convene a meeting of its organs immediately to consider this commitment.

– No worker will be victimized due to the industrial action.”

The commitment from both sides offers hope for an imminent resolution to the strike, providing relief to the nation.