The Organised Labour has refuted President Bola Tinubu’s claims of an agreement on a new national minimum wage, as stated in his Democracy Day address. According to labour representatives, no consensus was reached by the Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage by the end of negotiations on June 7.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) acting President, Prince Adewale Adeyanju, clarified that the committee had proposed two figures—N250,000 from labour and N62,000 from the government and Organised Private Sector (OPS). These figures were to be submitted to the President, but no final agreement had been reached.
In response to President Tinubu’s address, Adeyanju stated, “The NLC attentively listened to the Democracy Day presidential address delivered by Senator Bola Tinubu, especially concerning the ongoing National Minimum Wage negotiations. While the President may have accurately recounted parts of our democratic journey’s history, it is evident that he has been misinformed regarding the outcome of the wage negotiation process.”
Adeyanju emphasized that the NLC expected the President to harmonize the proposed figures in favor of workers, which would have been a fitting Democracy Day gift. He reiterated that labour’s demand remains N250,000 and that they have not received any compelling reasons to change this position.
The NLC expressed surprise at President Tinubu’s assertion of an agreement, suggesting he may have been misled. They insisted there was no consensus with the Federal Government or employers on the base figure for a National Minimum Wage or its components. The labour body also highlighted the absence of a copy of the document submitted to the President and vowed not to accept any doctored documents.
Adeyanju also revealed that trade union leaders faced intimidation and harassment during negotiations, possibly without the President’s knowledge. He urged President Tinubu to ensure the true demands of Nigerian workers are reflected in the Executive Bill for the minimum wage.
The NLC called on the President to resist advice from those aiming to undermine his promise to lift Nigerian workers out of poverty. They stressed the importance of honest communication and warned against the misinformation propagated by senior government officials.
The labour body also rejected any agreement on a five-year duration for the minimum wage act, insisting that inflation should be pegged at a certain level for an agreed minimum wage amount to bring clarity to the report.
As the debate over the new minimum wage continues, the NLC remains hopeful that President Tinubu’s democratic principles will prevail in favor of Nigerian workers and the masses.
