The intended strike action planned for tomorrow by the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC has been ruled out, as stated by the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, on Monday at the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
As reported by The Guardian, Ajaero explained that the delay in the strike is due to the Tritiparte committee’s minimum wage figures being currently under review by President Bola Tinubu.
He further clarified that despite the government and organized employers proposing N62,000, while labour suggests N250,000, it should not be assumed that labour is in agreement with the former amount as the new national minimum wage.
He said: “The tripartite committee submitted two figures to the President. Government and employers proposed N62,000 while labour proposed N250,000. We are waiting for the decision of the President. Our National Executive Council (NEC) will deliberate on the new figure when it is out.
“We cannot declare strike now because the figures are with the President. We will wait for the President’s decision.
“During the tenure of the immediate past President, the figure that was proposed to him was N27,000 by the tripartite committee but he increased it to N30,000. We are hopeful that this President will do the right thing. The President had noted that the difference between N62,000 and N250,000 is a wide gulf.”
The NLC president also berated state governors under the umbrella body of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum for rejecting the N62,000 minimum wage proposal.
He said, “How can any governor say he cannot pay? They cannot also be calling for the decentralization of the minimum wage.
“Are there wages decentralized? Governors whose states are not contributing a dime to the national purse and who generate pitiable Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) are collecting the same amount as governors whose states are generating billions of dollars into the FAAC.
“They should decentralize their salaries and emoluments first.
“So, where is the governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki getting his money from? He is paying N70,000 minimum wage. This is the type of governor that should be emulated and not the lazy ones.”
