The leaders of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) announced that they have accepted the N70,000 minimum wage approved for Nigerian workers by President Bola Tinubu.
A statement by Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, indicated that President Tinubu also pledged to find ways to help the private sector and sub-national entities meet the minimum wage requirement.
Following the meeting, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, briefed the media and confirmed that the unions had accepted the offer.
Ajaero, accompanied by Comrade Festus Usifo, President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), and other representatives of Nigerian workers, stated that the unions had accepted the offer because there were other incentives attached.
He said that the president’s pledge of a review every three years, as opposed to what had previously been received, was another factor in his decision to accept the offer.
“So far, he has done well. So we need to…although he promised some incentives like the CNG which will lessen the burden that the Nigerian workers are passing through, but you can see that we are taking in this well with mix filling because of the situation of the of the economy.
“But we have to move ahead despite the situation, and the negotiation can’t linger, you know, coming from N62,000 to N70,000. And then with the proviso that we are coming back soon to negotiate it.
“We’re taking it back to our constituency to see how you can get a buy in. So that’s what has transpired this afternoon except there’s another question.
Festus Osifo, the TUC President, disclosed that “ The President made a pronouncement or announcement of N70,000 and that by next week, they should put finishing touches to the bill and do the transmission to the National Assembly
“But why this became a catch is actually because we from organized labour, we have been pushing than that the issue of five years review is to me too much, that in five years, a lot a lot of economic indices economic indices may have changed, because we are in an era where things are moving very fast in terms of both macro, and micro economic policies. But now, there is a caveat, that this is going to be done every three years. The next review be in three years.
“We have received what the President has promised from both ends. And as he said, as well, we made a case for both the SSANU and NASU, that the President should, as a father of the nation, look at it compassionately, so that we will not have a case where the universities would be closed again.
“That is actually a problem because it is your children, my brothers that attend these universities. I’m not sure that the kids of the bougoise like those standing behind us, whether they attend these universities, we don’t know. So, at the end, he said he was going to look at it and that they should report back to him as has been reported.
“So we are quite excited with that. Because for us, anything that will keep the university shut down, we will not allow it to happen. we will do everything possible to ensure that the issues are resolved amicably. So, we are waiting for the final outcome of that.
The NLC also commended the President on the issue of student loan, but made a case for transparency “We commended the president for that. but we said that the money should get to the people that are targeted that the student loan should get to the people that are targeted, not a situation where the children of the rich are also able to access the student loan. that the parameter be put in place so that the children of the poor, those that cannot actually afford school fees should be the target and they also said they will look at it as well”
