The Nigerian labour unions have flatly rejected a fresh proposal of N54,000 as the new national minimum wage from the federal government on Tuesday.
The new offer is a mere increase of N6,000 from the N48,000 the government previously offered last month.
Nigeria’s current minimum wage is N30,000 per month (or $35 equivalent). The labour unions are insisting on N615,000 or about $400. They cite hyperinflation and other macroeconomic realities as justification for their demand.
The unions say they expect an “equitable agreement that reflects the true value of Nigerian workers’ contributions to the nation’s development and the current crisis of survival facing Nigerians as a result of government’s policies“.
And they warned the government to do it now with a sense of “urgency” if they value “industrial peace“.
If the government does not come up with an acceptable offer by May 31, 2004, they insist, workers throughout the federation will proceed on indefinite strike.
Strike Resolution Reached
The two main umbrella bodies of workers in Nigeria, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) reached the decision yesterday, Monday, in an emergency joint meeting of their National Executive Councils (NEC).
The resolution of the meeting was signed by NLC President, Joe Ajaero and his TUC counterpart, Festus Osifo.
The government and the unions have been locked in negotiations since January when the government inaugurated a 37-man Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage with the mandate to recommend a new minimum wage for the country.
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