The Organised Labour, consisting of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), have given reasons why they accepted ₦70,000 as the new minimum wage.
This is coming in after much deliberations between the unions and the Federal Government.
Reacting on Thursday on why they accepted the ₦70,000 as against the ₦250,000 earlier demanded, Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of NLC said the unions had accepted the offer.
Briefing journalists shortly after the meeting between Labour and the Federal Government in Abuja, Ajaero said the labour centres agreed to the offer because of other incentives attached.
He gave another reason for accepting the offer to the promise made by President Bola Tinubu to a review of the minimum wage every three years against what was obtained in the past.
He said, “We were here last week. And we are here now. What they have announced in terms of the amount of ₦70,000 happens to be where we are now. But the thing about it is that we will not wait for another five years to come and agree.”
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The NLC President further said the Organised Labour would consult with their members on the ₦70,000 benchmark.
On his part, Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information, said the Federal Government and the leadership of the Organised Labour have agreed on ₦70,000 as the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.
Idris said: “We are happy to announce today (Thursday) that both the Organised Labour and the Federal Government have agreed on an increase in the ₦62,000 minimum wage. The new national minimum that Mr President is expected to submit to the National Assembly is ₦70,000.”
Nkiruka Onyejeocha, Labour Minister, on the other, said Tinubu had also directed the Ministers of Finance and Budget, Wale Edun and Atiku Bagudu, respectively, to work out modalities on how to settle the issues with the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU).
