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The meeting room was tense as the representatives of Organised Labour, the Federal Government, and the Organised Private Sector (OPS) gathered to discuss the long-standing issue of minimum wage. The government had proposed a meager N54,000, a slight increase from their earlier offer of N48,000. But for Labour, this was still a far cry from their demand of N615,000.
Joe Ajaero, the National President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), was adamant that the government’s proposal was an insult to the sensibilities of Nigerian workers. “How can we expect a family of six to survive on such a paltry sum?” he argued. “We have done our research, and N615,000 is the bare minimum required to meet the needs of our people.”
The government and OPS representatives countered that the economy was not robust enough to support such a high minimum wage. But Labour would have none of it. “You are not transparent, and your failure to provide substantiated data to support your offer undermines the credibility of this negotiation process,” Ajaero retorted.
As the meeting drew to a close, it was clear that no consensus had been reached. The Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage adjourned the meeting to Wednesday, May 23, with a stern warning from Labour: “We will not accept anything less than N615,000.”
The fate of millions of Nigerian workers hung in the balance as the negotiations continued. Would the government and OPS budge, or would Labour be forced to take drastic measures to protect the interests of their members? Only time would tell.