Details Emerge On How FG Disappointed NLC, TUC During Minimum Wage Meeting

Fresh details have emerged on how the federal government disappointed organised labour during their meeting in Abuja over the new minimum wage.

The tripartite committee comprising the federal government and labour unions reconvened on Wednesday at the Nicon Luxury Hotel in Abuja to discuss establishing a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

Despite hopes for progress, the meeting did not result in a new wage offer from the federal government. Festus Osifo, president of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), expressed disappointment to journalists afterward, noting that no revised government wage proposal was presented.

He said, “Nothing has been presented yet. The minister of finance said they are still working on the template that the president mandated them to work on. All we were discussing were the principles behind some of these issues, but they have not presented anything beyond what was presented earlier. We hope when we come back tomorrow, we will have something to relate to.”

Representing the federal government at the meeting were Wale Edun, minister of finance; Atiku Bagudu, minister of budget and national planning; and Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, minister of labour, along with representatives from the offices of the secretary to the government and the head of service of the federation.

The organized labour was represented by Joe Ajaero, president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and Osifo. Abdulateef Shittu, director-general of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), was also in attendance.