The Organized Labour has rejected the fresh ₦60,000 minimum wage proposal by the federal government of Nigeria.
The government offered the amount during Tuesday’s resumed negotiation meeting of the tripartite committee on a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
However, labour declined the government’s most recent proposal, which marked the fourth offer presented within approximately two weeks following the resumption of negotiation discussions.
The Labour also shifted ground a little, adjusting its demand to ₦494,000 from the ₦497,000 demanded last week. By implication, while the government increased its offer by ₦3000, labour also decreased its demand by ₦3,000.
A source who gave the breakdown at the Tuesday meeting, said the amount proposed by the government did not go down well with labour leaders comprising the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
A labour leader, who was quoted by Punch to have spoken to the publication before the meeting started, noted that organised labour would only go lower if the government went higher on its demands.
“This is simply a case of if they go higher, we will go lower. They need to propose something reasonable for us to propose something lower too. There is no two-way about it.
“Also, we have a way of meeting as members of the Labour before each committee meeting. This will help us to take a uniform stand by the time we get to the meeting front.
“So as long as the government is ready to present something reasonable, we will meet them in the middle,” the labour leader said.
