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NLC Explains Why It Turned Down Government’s Minimum Wage Increase

Published

6 months ago

May 22, 2024.

Joe Ajaero Explains Why NLC Turned Down Government’s Minimum Wage Increase
Ajaero stated that the government had not provided an explanation for how it arrived at the new minimum wage figure.
The rejection came after the union and the government had not deeply discussed the basis of the new wage offer.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that the president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, has explained why the union rejected the federal government’s latest minimum wage offer.

Speaking on Channels TV’s Politics Today on Tuesday, Ajaero revealed that the union rejected the offer because the government had not justified how it arrived at the proposed ₦54,000 minimum wage.

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This online media platform previously reported that President Bola Tinubu’s administration had made a new minimum wage offer to the Ajaero-led union, which the union subsequently rejected.

Ajaero emphasized that the federal government had yet to provide an explanation for its new wage proposal. When asked if any justification was given for the ₦54,000 offer, Ajaero stated, “Those are part of the issues because we did not go even deep into the canals of the discussion.”

“Labour has been insisting that they should provide that explanation, but she (the labour minister) was the person who made the offer on behalf of the federal government, citing that the government had been involved in many projects, including the provision of fertilizers and many other projects.

Minimum Wage Increase

But you see, we did not get talking because, you see, that offer is neither here nor there. They have not given any justification on what they expect us to do because we itemized all that we needed, then we expected them to go into it so that we will harmonize on something, but they are yet to commence discussion apart from this paltry offer.

“It is still not substantial for what is needed to keep the family moving, there are various ways of expressing your displeasure on issues last time, we told them there was no case submission, this time, we told them that there was nothing on the table when they moved to 54 and the state governors were missing in action, we may reconvene tomorrow, giving the governors benefit of the doubt to come along so that they will not claim that their hairs were shaved in their absence that is why we are continuing negotiations tomorrow.”

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