Barely 24 hours after the commencement of a nationwide strike by organised labour, the federal government has agreed to offer higher than N60,000 national minimum wage it earlier proposed to the tripartite committee deliberating on the issue.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation disclosed the government’s decision at a meeting of the committee convened Monday night which lasted for eight hours.
The communique was jointly signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris; Minister of State for Labour and Employment; Nkeiruka Onyejeocha; President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Joe Ajaero and President, Trade Union Congress (TUC) Festus Osifo.
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It reads, “The federal government, in the National interest, convened a meeting with Labour held in the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, on Monday 3rd June, with a view to ending the strike action.
“The President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria is committed to a National Minimum Wage that is higher than N60,000.
“Arising from the above, the Tripartite Committee is to meet every day for the next one week with a view to arriving at an agreeable National Minimum Wage”.
In response to the federal governments proposal, the organised labour said, “Labour in deference to the high esteem of the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria’s commitment undertakes to convene a meeting of its organs immediately to consider this commitment.
“No worker would be victimized as a result of the industrial action”.
It will be recalled that following the negotiation by the tripartite committee on national minimum wage and subsequent withdrawal of Labour from negotiation and it’s indefinite strike, the government had convened the meeting with labour.
