‘No minimum wage by end of May, no peace’ – Labour warns Nigerian Govt

The Organised Labour has given the Federal Government till May ending to finalise the process of implementing the new national minimum wage for workers.

The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Mr Joe Ajaero, made the demand on Wednesday in Abuja at the 2024 edition of the International Workers Day.

This year’s celebration focuses on ‘Ensuring Safety and Health at Work in a Changing Climate’.

The labour leader warned that if the negotiation is not concluded by the ending of May, there may not be industrial peace in Nigeria.

Ajaero said the process of fixing a new national minimum wage was still ongoing and had witnessed robust engagements.

“All parties in the tripartite process are well represented and the engagement has been robust.

“We have placed our demand of N615, 000 only before our social partners while we await their offer.

“If, however, the negotiation of the minimum wage is not concluded by the end of May, the trade union movement in Nigeria will no longer guarantee industrial peace in the country,” he said.

Ajaero also said labour had placed a demand that the new Act would have a two-year life span with an agreement for automatic adjustments in wages any time inflation exceeded 7.5 per cent.

He said the union further demanded that every employer with up to five workers should pay the new minimum wage.

Ajaero called for the strengthening of monitoring and compliance mechanisms in order to penalise non-complying state governments.

He said that Nigerian workers deserve to have a national minimum wage that approximated a living wage.