NLC Rule Out Strike
During the ongoing International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, NLC President, Joe Ajaero, conveyed this decision on Monday.
As per The Guardian, Ajaero stated that organised labour refrains from initiating a strike because the figures submitted by the Tritiparte committee on minimum wage are pending President Bola Tinubu’s review.
He clarified that the submission of N62,000 proposed by the government and employers, alongside labour's proposal of N250,000, does not signify acceptance of N62,000 as the new minimum wage.
Ajaero elaborated: “The tripartite committee presented two figures to the President. While government and employers suggested N62,000, labour proposed N250,000. We await the President’s decision. Our National Executive Council (NEC) will deliberate upon the new figure upon its release.
“We cannot announce a strike presently as the figures are under the President's review. We will await his decision. During the previous administration, the tripartite committee proposed N27,000, but it was increased to N30,000. We trust this President will act accordingly. He acknowledged the substantial gap between N62,000 and N250,000.”
The NLC president criticized state governors, united under the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, for rejecting the N62,000 minimum wage proposal.
He remarked, “How can any governor claim inability to pay? They cannot advocate for minimum wage decentralization.
“Are wages currently decentralized? Governors from states contributing little to the national purse, with meager Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), receive the same amount as those from states generating substantial revenue into the FAAC.
“They should decentralize their own salaries and allowances first.
“For instance, how does Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state manage to afford N70,000 minimum wage? Such governors should serve as role models, not the inactive ones.”
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