The Organised Labour, consisting of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has once again rejected the Federal Government’s latest proposal. 

This time, the government’s offer of ₦60,000 was deemed insufficient by the labour unions, who have now adjusted their demand to ₦494,000 from their previous stance of ₦497,000.

During the recent meeting of the Tripartite Committee, tasked with negotiating a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers, the Federal Government and the Organised Private Sector (OPS) proposed an increased offer of ₦60,000 per month. 

This proposal was an increment from their earlier suggestion of ₦57,000 made the previous week, which had also been rejected by the labour unions.

The labour unions have been firm in their stance, originally demanding ₦615,000 as the new minimum wage. However, in a bid to reach a compromise, they lowered their demand to ₦497,000 last week, and further to ₦494,000 in the latest round of talks.

A prominent member of the Tripartite Committee revealed that the government’s initial proposals included figures of ₦48,000 and ₦54,000, both of which were quickly dismissed by the Organised Labour. The current proposal of ₦60,000 has similarly failed to meet the expectations of the unions, resulting in a deadlock in negotiations.

The committee’s meeting on Tuesday ended without an agreement, highlighting the ongoing tensions and the significant gap between the demands of the Organised Labour and the offers from the Federal Government and the OPS. The deadlock leaves millions of Nigerian workers in uncertainty as the cost of living continues to rise without a corresponding increase in wages.

Both parties are expected to reconvene in the coming days to continue negotiations. However, the failure to reach a consensus so far indicates that the discussions might extend further, unless a significant compromise is achieved.

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