FG, Labour to resume minimum wage talks Thursday

President Bola Tinubu will meet with the leadership of the Organised Labour to continue discussions about a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, said the new minimum wage was also considered at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Monday.

He stated that the Minister of Budget and National Planning, Atiku Bagudu, has been asked to prepare a proposal for an Amendment Act to the 2024 Appropriation Act that will be sent to the National Assembly.

Last Thursday, the President met with the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Festus Osifo, in the State House in Abuja.

At the conclusion of the meeting, the President emphasized the need for realistic expectations regarding the minimum wage. “You have to cut your coat according to available cloth. Before we can finalize the minimum wage process, we have to look at the structure,” he stated.

The President is set to decide on the ₦62,000 proposal from the government and private sector, as well as the ₦250,000 demand from the Organized Labour. The current minimum wage stands at ₦30,000.

This meeting follows the President’s Democracy Day speech on June 12, 2024, where he announced that an executive bill on the new national minimum wage would soon be sent to the National Assembly for passage.

On June 25, the Federal Executive Council (FEC), chaired by the President, postponed consideration of the memo on the new minimum wage to allow for further engagement with stakeholders.

Two days later, President Tinubu and Vice President Kassim Shettima, during the 141st meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC), met with governors of the 36 states and ministers to discuss the new minimum wage for workers.