The Federal Government has asked the Nigeria Labour Congress and the Trade Union Congress, along with their affiliates not to embark on their planned indefinite strike action and instead return to the negotiating table.
Should the government accede to Labour’s demand of paying N494, 000 as minimum wage, the government said would cost N9.5trillion, which the economy cannot afford.
In a last minute effort to dissuade the labour unions from embarking on the strike, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris addressed an emergency press briefing in Abuja last night.
The labour unions, he said, are the only hold-outs among the three parties involved in the tripartite negotiation on the new minimum wage in settling for N60,000.
Both the Federal Government and the Organized Private Sector, he said, have agreed on N60,000, while labour has rejected the N60,000 proposal.
He said: “The FG therefore, calls on all parties to embrace reasonable and realistic dialogue that will result in the proper resolution of the impasse.
“I am therefore appealing to the Labour to return to the negotiation table in the interest of Nigeria.
“Indefinite strike action is not the solution. It will rather complicate the situation. Our appeal is that they should shelve that strike, rethink the strike because it is not in the interest of Nigerians.
Idris said the N494,000 minimum wage being demanded by the labour will cost the government about N9.5trillion to cater for about 1.2 million workers, pleading with the labour to put the interest of the other 200million Nigerians in consideration.
Explaining how the federal government settled for a 100% increase, he said, “On Tuesday, 28th May 2024, the Tripartite Committee, comprising 36 members – FG 12, NLC 12, and Organized Private Sector 12, met and the FG made the offer of N60,000 per month, to workers.
“The Federal Government’s New Minimum Wage proposal amounts to a 100% increase on the existing minimum wage of 2019. Labour, however, wanted N494,000, which would be an increase of 1,547% on the existing wage.
“The sum of N494,000 national minimum wage which Labour is seeking would cumulatively amount to the sum N9.5 trillion bill to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
“It is important for Nigerians to understand that whereas the FG is desirous of ample remuneration for Nigerian workers, but what is most critical is that the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will not encourage any action that could lead to massive job loss.
“Whereas the Labour is keen on the take-home pay of about 1.2 million workers, the Federal Government is concerned with the welfare of 200m+ Nigerians. This is because, the FG’s Guiding Principle is: Affordability, Sustainability, and the overall Health of the nation’s economy.
“Even before the discussions on the national minimum wage, the Federal Government granted N35,000 wage award for all treasury-paid Federal Workers
“The FG therefore, calls on all parties to embrace reasonable and realistic dialogue that will result in the proper resolution of the impasse.”
Idris said apart from the minimum wage, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has floated 12 palliatives for Nigerians, which include:
The N125billion Conditional Grant and Financial Inclusion to MSMEs.
N100 billion for the procurement of CNG fueled buses and CNG conversion kits.
N25,000 each to be shared to 15 million households for 3 months.
N185 billion palliatives (loans to states) to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal.
N200 billion to support the cultivation of 500,000 hectares of land to boost food production.
Release of 42,000 metric tons of grains from the Strategic Reserves.
Purchase and onward distribution of 60,000 metric tons of rice from the rice millers association.
Recent salary increase of 25-35% on all consolidated salary structures for federal workers.
90% subsidy on health costs for federal civil servants registered on NHIS.
In the last one week about 60,000 Student Loan Applications were received out of which 30,000 were successful. The Portal will be opened for students from state-owned tertiary institutions, from June 25th, 2024.
Light rail commissioned in Abuja to relieve transportation costs till the end of the year.
In addition to the freedom of civil servants to engage in agriculture, the federal government has approved the inclusion of ICT services as alternative sources of income.