The meeting between the Federal Government and leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) has ended in a deadlock. Labour leaders rejected the government’s offers, including the provisional wage increment proposed by President Bola Tinubu.
The meeting, held on Sunday, failed to reach a consensus, prompting a reconvening of the discussion for today at 4 p.m. Reports suggest that the labor leaders dismissed the N25,000 provisional wage increase for low-grade workers, which President Tinubu had announced as a measure to mitigate the impact of the removal of the petrol subsidy.
The rejection of this offer by the labor leaders comes as they demand a 200 percent wage increment over the current minimum wage. They insist that this provisional wage increase should apply to all workers and should not be limited to just six months pending the enactment of a new Minimum Wage Act next year.
Furthermore, labor is pushing for an increase in conditional cash transfers for vulnerable households from N5,000 to N25,000 for 15 million Nigerians. Additionally, they have raised several other demands, including tax rebates for low-income earners, the removal of Value Added Tax (VAT) on diesel for six months, and the provision of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and buses within two months.
After extensive negotiations, the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, who led the government’s delegation, adjourned the meeting for the government team to consult with President Tinubu regarding the new demands.
The labor leaders are expected to hold a National Executive Council (NEC) meeting today to discuss the government’s offers and decide on the next course of action.
It is important to note that organized labor has ordered state councils and affiliates to ensure full compliance with the nationwide strike directive, and zonal coordinating committees have been inaugurated on Saturday to facilitate the strike’s success.
Meanwhile, briefing journalists after the meeting, the Chief of Staff to the President and leader of the government team, Femi Gbajabiamila, announced that Tinubu accepted organized labour’s demand that the wage award be across the board.
