The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has rejected the federal government’s offer to increase the minimum wage to N54,000, citing that it is still too low. This is the third time the government’s offer has been rejected, with the NLC insisting on a minimum wage of N615,000.
The rejection led to the postponement of the meeting to Wednesday, as the labour leaders and government representatives failed to reach a consensus. The NLC accused the government of not providing any substantiated data to support its offer, which undermines the credibility of the negotiation.
The government’s offer of N54,000 is an increase from its previous offer of N48,000, but still falls short of the NLC’s demand. The NLC argues that the proposed amount is not enough to meet the needs of an average Nigerian family of six, given the current economic situation.
The Deputy President of NLC Political Commission, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, criticized the government for not showing empathy towards Nigerian workers, who are struggling to adjust to the hardship and inflation caused by its policies.
The Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR) also faulted the government’s offer, describing it as a “huge joke”. The group stated that the government’s agenda is to further enrich the privileged few and pauperize the working masses.
The negotiation is ongoing, with the NLC threatening to call for industrial action if a fair and equitable agreement is not reached.