NIGERIAN workers, under the aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC), have rejected the Federal government’s fresh N58,000 minimum wage offer, even as they walked back from their initial demand of N615,000, as against the current N30,000, which elapses at the end of May, to N497,000 minimum wage.

Recall that the government had last week offered a minimum wage of N48,000, which prompted Labour to stage a walkout, with NLC President, Joe Ajaero, describing the offer as unsubstantial, compared to what members of the umbrella unions need to make a family moving, in view of the economic situation in the country.

    But government is not disposed to Labour’s offer, citing paucity of funds. to

      The lack of agreement and deadlock at the meeting on Wednesday, May 22, in Abuja, forced the tripartite committee on new minimum wage to adjourn till next Tuesday, May 28, to continue negotiation.

It was gathered that the Federal Government, the organised private sector and the organised Labour failed to reach a consensus after government stood its ground on the N54,000 it proposed on Tuesday, citing paucity of funds.

Government was only forced to shift a little ground and propose the sum of N57,000 after the committee took a 30-minute break to make further consultations and deliberations, at the end of which government and the Organised Private Sector (OPS) proposed the sum of N57,000 as minimum wage, which was flatly rejected by Labour.

     It was disclosed that Governors Godwin Obaseki (Edo) and Hope Uzodinma (Imo) were present at the meeting, while Charles Soludo (Anambra) joined us via Zoom.

    President Bola Tinubu, through Vice President Kashim Shettima, had on January 30, inaugurated the 37-member Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage to come up with a new minimum wage ahead of the expiration of the current N30,000 wage on April 18.

 Shettima had charged members to “speedily” arrive at a resolution and submit their reports early, saying “this timely submission is crucial to ensure the emergence of a new minimum wage.”

In furtherance of its assignment, zonal public hearings were held simultaneously on March 7 in Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Adamawa states and Abuja.