Organised Labour has strongly refuted President Bola Tinubu’s assertion during his Democracy Day broadcast that an agreement had been reached on the new national minimum wage. According to Labour representatives, as of the conclusion of negotiations on June 7, no consensus had been reached by the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage.
During the negotiations, Labour proposed a figure of N250,000, while the government and Organised Private Sector (OPS) suggested N62,000. These figures were supposed to be submitted to the President for consideration.
Responding to Tinubu’s remarks, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Acting President, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, stated, “The NLC attentively listened to the Democracy Day presidential address delivered by Senator Bola Tinubu, especially concerning the ongoing National Minimum Wage negotiations. While the President may have accurately recounted parts of our democratic journey’s history, it is evident that he has been misinformed regarding the outcome of the wage negotiation process.”
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Adeyanju further clarified, “We neither reached any agreement with the Federal Government and the employers on the base figure for a National Minimum Wage nor on its other components. Our demand remains N250,000 and we have not been given any compelling reasons to change this position.”
Labour also expressed concerns about alleged intimidation and harassment during negotiations, asserting that they remain committed to achieving a fair minimum wage that reflects the needs of Nigerian workers.
The statement emphasized Labour’s expectation that the President will uphold democratic principles and address their concerns transparently, urging clarity in the ongoing discussions surrounding the national minimum wage.
