The tripartite minimum wage negotiation meeting involving Organised Labour, the federal and state governments, and the Organized Private Sector ended in a deadlock on Tuesday.
News About Nigeria reports that the meeting ended without a resolution after Labour leaders dismissed the federal government’s offer of N54,000 as the new minimum wage.
According to sources, Labour leaders insisted that the Federal Government has not made a reasonable offer, and it appears the government is not serious about the negotiations. They said the N54,000 offer fgcdalls below the N77,000 salary currently earned by workers, which Labour leaders consider a wage reduction.
The meeting was also marked by the absence of state governors, whose representatives claimed they had no mandate to make presentations. Labour leaders lamented the absence of the governors, stating that any agreement reached without their involvement would not be acceptable.
Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, a member of the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage, expressed disappointment at the absence of six governors representing the six geopolitical zones. He added that the May 31 deadline for concluding negotiations is fast approaching, and it would not augur well for the country if negotiations are not concluded on time.
Ndubuaku reiterated that Labour cannot negotiate a wage reduction, as the cost of living continues to rise. He stated that the government’s offer of N54,000 is unacceptable, and Labour will not accept anything below the current take-home pay of the lowest-paid federal worker.
He said: “When they offered N54,000, we told them they have not started. We did not see that as any shifting of grounds which they promised.
“Shifting grounds must start from the point of negotiation for minimum wage. Anything below N77,000 is a wage reduction, anything below the take-home of the lowest-paid worker is a wage reduction. We cannot start negotiating wage reduction.
“Already the clock is ticking. We gave them a May 31 deadline to conclude negotiations, today (Tuesday) is May 21. We have 10 days to go and it will not augur well for this country if negotiations are not concluded on time.”
The meeting is scheduled to reconvene today by 4 pm, with the expectation that state governors will attend and make presentations.
