In a bid to address the demands of Nigerian workers for a living wage, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) initiated an indefinite nationwide strike on Monday. The strike resulted in the closure of most business activities, government offices, and other workplaces in adherence to the labour directive.
Prompted by the strike, an intense meeting was convened by the federal government on Monday evening in Abuja. The meeting, which lasted from 5 PM to nearly 11 PM, saw leaders of the organised labour and government officials engage in exhaustive deliberations.
Following the meeting, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, announced that the Federal Government has signed a fresh agreement with the organised labour. This agreement highlights President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to a national minimum wage exceeding N60,000.
The resolutions from the meeting, held on June 3, 2024, stated that the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage will meet daily for a week to determine the new wage. The organised labour agreed to review the government’s commitment.
Key points from the resolution include:
1. President Tinubu’s commitment to a national minimum wage higher than N60,000.
2. Daily meetings of the Tripartite Committee for the next week to finalize the new minimum wage.
3. Labour’s agreement to review the President’s commitment.
4. Assurance that no worker will be victimized due to the industrial action.
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Representatives from the federal government and organised labour, including Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris and NLC President Joe Ajaero, signed the agreement.
