The labour unions comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress have walked out of the ongoing minimum wage negotiations with the government and the Organised Private Sector.

Angered by the N48,000 proposal by the Federal Government as the national minimum wage, the labour unions described the offer as ridiculous. The organised private sector had also made an offer of N54,000 wage.

The NLC President, Joe Ajaero, explained that the government does not have the necessary data to negotiate with Labour neither is it serious about negotiating, but maintained that Government have till the end of the month to arrive at a decision.

Speaking on a Channels Television program late yesterday, the TUC President, Festus Osifo, blasted the N48,000 proposal and the government for not being serious in the negotiation with the workers, arguing that the least federal workers are already earning up to N77,000 and proposing N48,000 at the moment is “abysmal”.

The NLC and TUC had proposed that the Federal government should pay Nigerian workers N615,000 minimum wage, citing high cost of living as the yardstick for the proposal.