Minimum wage: We’re not embarking on strike tomorrow – Organised Labour

As the deadline set by organised labour to resolve the lingering issue surrounding the minimum wage elapsed tonight, the Nigeria Labour Congress has ruled out strike action scheduled for Tuesday, June 11 2024.

ORGANISED LABOUR IS WAITING ON TINUBU’S ACTION ON THE FIGURES PRESENTED TO HIM

According to the Guardian, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, while making this known during the ongoing International Labour Conference taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, said organised labour cannot embark on strike tomorrow because the figures presented by the Tritiparte committee on minimum wage are with President Bola Tinubu.

He clarified that the submission of N62,000 as proposed by the government and the organised employers’ body with labour proposing N250,000 does not translate to labour accepting N62,000 as the new minimum wage.

He said: “The tripartite committee submitted two figures to the President. Government and employers proposed N62,000 while labour
proposed N250,00o. We are waiting for the decision of the President. Our National Executive Council (NEC) will deliberate on the
new figure when it is out.

“We cannot declare strike now because the figures are with the President. We will wait for the President’s decision.

“During the tenure of the immediate past President, the figure that was proposed to him was N27,000 by the tripartite committee, but he increased it to N30,000. We are hopeful that this President will do the right thing. The President had noted that the difference between N62,000 and N250,000 is a wide gulf.”

NLC BERATES GOVS FOR REJECTING PROPOSED N62,000

Meanwhile, the NLC president also faulted state governors’ claim of being unable to pay the N62,000 minimum wage proposal.

He said, “How can any governor say he cannot pay? They cannot also be calling for the decentralization of the minimum wage.

“Are there wages decentralized? Governors whose states are not contributing a dime to the national purse and who generate pitiable Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) are collecting the same amount as governors whose states are generating billions of dollars into the FAAC.

“They should decentralize their salaries and emoluments first.

“So, where is the governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki, getting his money from? He is paying N70,000 minimum wage. This is the type of governor that should be emulated and not the lazy ones.”