1st June, 2024
By Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
The Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage has explained why it insisted on the N60,000 as the new national minimum wage contrary to the N494,000 proposed by organised labour.
Organised labour as represented by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC had on Friday rejected the N60,000 offered by the Tripartite Committee as the new minimum wage while insisting on its proposed N494,000.
The two unions consequently declared a national strike starting next Monday over the refusal of the tripartite committee to yield ground on their demand for N494,000 as minimum wage.
In a statement released by its secretariat on Saturday, the tripartite committee noted that the N60,000 minimum wage offer made to organised labour at their last meeting on Friday by employers made up of the Government side and Organised Private Sector was 100% increase on existing National Minimum Wage of 2019.
The Committee further noted at a meeting held on Friday, Organized Labour when called upon to make their concession, or new offers outside of their insistence on the N494,000 per month.
But representatives of the organised labour insisted that the employers should first shift grounds.
The employers, according to the statement, consequently reiterated their offer of N60,000 based on the prevailing situation in the country after which members of the organised labour walked out of the meeting.
“Both sides stated that their offers of N60,000.00 per month, which is 100% increase on the existing National Minimum Wage of 2019, were based on prevailing economic considerations and government’s non-monetary incentives.
“Thereafter organised labour walked out of the meeting.
The Committee added that during the continuation of the meeting the Government further defended their offer of N60,000.00 per month.
According to the statement, the offer was based based on economic considerations and non-monetary incentives which include the following:
1. N35,000 wage award for all treasury-paid Federal workers.
2. 100 billion naira for the procurement of CNG-fuelled busses and CNG conversion kits.
3. 125-billion-naira conditional grant and financial inclusion to MSMEs.
4. N25,000 each to be shared to 15 million households for 3 months.
5. 185 billion palliatives (loans to States) to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal.
6. 200 billion naira to support the cultivation of hectares of land to boost food production.
7. 75 billion naira to strengthen the manufacturing sector.
8. 1 trillion naira for student loans for higher education.
9. Release of 42,000 metric tons of grains from strategic reserves.
10. Purchase and onward distribution of 60,000 metric tons of Rice from the rice millers association.
11. Recent salary increase of 25-35 per cent on all consolidated Salary structures for federal workers.
12. 90% subsidy on health costs for Federal Civil Servants registered on NHIS.
13. Light rail commissioned in Abuja to relieve transportation cost till the end of the year. Lagos State had already commence same initiative with their Blue and Red lines.
14. In addition to the freedom of Civil Servants to engage in agriculture, Federal Government has approved the inclusion of ICT services for alternate sources of income.
“In conclusion, the meeting agreed that even where major and small businesses are closing down with consequent loss of jobs, the outcome of a new National Minimum Wage should be such that it will not trigger further massive job losses.
The Committee further noted that linking the strike to electricity hikes with the NMW determination was not fair to the negotiating parties.