The tripartite committee on new minimum wage has adjourned till next Tuesday, May 28 to continue deliberation after Wednesday’s meeting in Abuja ended in a deadlock again.

The Federal Government, the organised private sector and the organised labour failed to reach a consensus on the new minimum wage at the Wednesday meeting.

Sources at the meeting told The PUNCH that the government initially stood its ground on the N54,000 it proposed on Tuesday, citing paucity of funds.

However, the government was forced to propose the sum of N57,000 after the committee took a 30-minute break to make further deliberations.


The highly informed sources noted that at the end of the break, both the government and the OPS proposed the sum of N57,000 as minimum wage.

The sum was, however, rejected by labour.

“The final proposal from labour was N497,000 and that was after the government and the private sector proposed N57,000.


“Initially, the government refused to shift grounds on the N54,000 it proposed earlier, noting that it didn’t have enough funds to pay. However, we took a 30-minute break to make further deliberations.

“We as Labour reject the proposed N57,000 and the meeting has been adjourned till Tuesday next week.

“Governors Obaseki and Uzodinma were present while Governor Soludo joined us via Zoom. The government needs to be serious as regards these negotiations.”

Also speaking to The PUNCH, a senior official of Nigeria Labour Congress said, “The outcome of the negotiation of the National Minimum Wage Committee with the Federal Government is not encouraging. The Federal Government increased it from N54,000 to N57,000, and the organised labour moved from N615,000 to N500,000, and then to N497,000 and the meeting has been adjourned to next week Tuesday.”

He noted that NLC and TUC normally meet before the negotiation meetings commences “to ask ourselves the direction to go.”

President Tinubu through Vice President Kashim Shettima, had on January 30, 2024, 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.

With its membership cutting across federal and state governments, the private sector and organised labour, the panel is to recommend a new national minimum wage for the country.


During the inauguration of the panel, Shettima urged the members to “speedily” arrive at a resolution and submit their reports early.

“This timely submission is crucial to ensure the emergence of a new minimum wage,” Shettima said.

In furtherance of its assignment, a zonal public hearing was held simultaneously on March 7 in Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, Adamawa, and Abuja.

The NLC and the TUC in different states proposed various figures as a living wage, referencing the current economic crunch and the high costs of living.

In their different proposals on the minimum wage, the NLC members in the South-West states demanded N794,000 as the TUC suggested N447,000.

At the North-Central zonal hearing in Abuja, the workers demanded N709,000 as the new national minimum wage, while their counterparts in the South-South clamoured for N850,000.

In the North-West, N485,000 was proposed, while the South-East stakeholders demanded N540,000 minimum wage.

Bamss1:
Labour just dey make me laugh with their figures. Are they really serious? They should be realistic na. How do we jump from 30k to almost 500k

Ofunaofu:


They are being realistic bro

The only people that should be realistic here is the government

helinues:


They are being realistic with N500k as minimum wage?

Where do they expect the government to get the funds? To borrow or to increase more tax base which Nigerians are fuming at both?

What should happen to private sector workers, how would they be able to cope in the same economy where the government workers would be earning X300% of their basic salary?

What do you think would happen to Nigeria economy with government paying N500k as salary? Inflation of course.

So what's realistic about Labour's proposal

helinues:
When the labour union are ready to come up with a realistic proposal, they should let us know

Validated:


Organized labour provided the breakdown of whatever they present to government. Government on the other hand could not justify the paltry some they are brandishing. This is why we advise that when workers are talking, internet trolls should keep quiet. Politics is not about exhibition of stupidity and supporting a government should not make us empty our brains like zombies.

helinues:


Again, why is it just so hard for you Obidients, yes Obidients to make your comments without throwing tantrums?

Won't the comments that are devoid of tantrums make sense to you guys?

You guys can't be making tantrums a regular trademark

helinues:


They are being realistic with N500k as minimum wage?

Where do they expect the government to get the funds? To borrow or to increase more tax base which Nigerians are fuming at both?

What should happen to private sector workers, how would they be able to cope in the same economy where the government workers would be earning X300% of their basic salary?

What do you think would happen to Nigeria economy with government paying N500k as salary? Inflation of course.

So what's realistic about Labour's proposal

Ofunaofu:



Minimum wage doesn't cause inflation, what causes inflation is calamitous economic policies and actions, policy flip flops etc

helinues:


Sometimes, I don't know if some of you guys just want to be arguing for arguing sake.

You no do basic economy in secondary school?

helinues:


Again, why is it just so hard for you Obidients, yes Obidients to make your comments without throwing tantrums?

Won't the comments that are devoid of tantrums make sense to you guys?

You guys can't be making tantrums a regular trademark

helinues:


Sometimes, I don't know if some of you guys just want to be arguing for arguing sake.

You no do basic economy in secondary school?

Validated:


Which is more of a tantrum? Does calling organized labour "unserious" qualify as a compliment?

Justiceganduje:
Did you do basic economics in your secondary school too? Hurry up ok.

Ofunaofu:


Are you saying that in your secondary school, you were thought that minimum wage causes inflation.

If you are going to blame the minimum wage as the cause of inflation, I must confess, you learn nothing

You are now implying that The current high inflation the country is experiencing at the moment is because of the N30000 minimum wage

helinues:


Again, why is it just so hard for you Obidients, yes Obidients to make your comments without throwing tantrums?

Won't the comments that are devoid of tantrums make sense to you guys?

You guys can't be making tantrums a regular trademark

helinues:


Ridiculous minimum wage would cause inflation, I didn't say normal minimum wage would cause inflation. Don't twist things deliberately .

The questions which I asked about the unrealistic labour proposal, you ignored it but trying to shift the goal post

helinues:


They are being realistic with N500k as minimum wage?

Where do they expect the government to get the funds? To borrow or to increase more tax base which Nigerians are fuming at both?

What should happen to private sector workers, how would they be able to cope in the same economy where the government workers would be earning X300% of their basic salary?

What do you think would happen to Nigeria economy with government paying N500k as salary? Inflation of course.

So what's realistic about Labour's proposal

Ynix:


How is Seychelles able to do it that their minimum wage is $460 that is about 690,000 Naira per month, How is Botswana a landlocked nation in Southern Africa able to do it that the minimum wage is $330 that is about 495,000 Naira.

What about poor Mozambique paying between $150-$250
What about South Africa paying $1,200, or
Kenya $400-$500

The real problem is our approach to Human Development here in West Africa. We have the weakest Human Development Index in the world meaning that we have the lowest wages and Standard of Living.

If Obasanjo upgraded the minimum wage and it improved the standard of living during his first term of Presidency it's over 20 years now should we still be wallowing in what will make us weak or just increase the money and put in mechanism to ensure that the workers produce x10 or even x100 of their pay