On Wednesday, the federal government chastised organized labor for failing to take into account the wider economic consequences of their demands for an unjustifiably higher national minimum wage.

The admonition was delivered by Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation. Idris warned that the N250,000 minimum salary proposed by labor may damage the economy, cause a mass layoff of workers, and endanger the wellbeing of Nigerians.

The labor unions, on the other hand, denied President Bola Tinubu’s assertions that a deal had been struck on the new national minimum wage during his Democracy Day speech on Wednesday.

Read Also: June 12: Tinubu Assured Nigerians of a New Minimum Wage; NASS To Get Bill Soon.

The Tripartite Committee on the National Minimum Wage had not established a consensus as of the end of negotiations on June 7, according to Prince Adewale Adeyanju, acting president of the Nigeria Labour Congress. Adeyanju is speaking in place of NLC President Joe Ajaero, who is in Geneva, Switzerland, for a conference of the International Labour Organization.

After declaring that his administration would soon present an executive bill to the National Assembly to formalize the agreements struck in the minimum wage negotiations between labor, the private sector, the states, and the federal government, Tinubu infuriated the unions.

The Federal Government and the Organized Private Sector offered N62,000, but the unions insisted on a minimum pay of N250,000 throughout the weeks-long negotiations.

The state governors, however, declared that they would not be able to support minimum wages above N60,000. Rejecting the offers from the OPS and the federal government, the labor unions declared that they would not bargain for a ‘starvation wage.’ N62,000 is not deemed appropriate.

According to Chris Onyeka, the NLC’s assistant general secretary, Labour would not accept the most recent offer of N62,000 or the N100,000 suggestion put up by certain people and experts.

Joe Ajaero, the President of the NLC, stated that the unions were waiting on the President to take Labour’s suggestion into consideration.

Speaking on Wednesday at the commencement of the 2024 Synod of the Charismatic Bishops Conference of Nigeria in Abuja, the minister of information emphasized the need for a reasonable wage structure that covers workers’ needs and prevents widespread layoffs.

Idris reaffirmed the government’s commitment to reviewing the minimum wage but issued a warning against making demands that would cause the economy to falter.

He said, ‘As As I’ve stated time and time again, the Federal Government supports wage increases for Nigerian workers, but we also continue to push for a fair and sustainable wage structure for workers—one that won’t damage the country’s economy, cause widespread layoffs, or jeopardize the welfare of 200 million or more Nigerians.

‘We want the labor unions to know that wage increases won’t be the only way that Nigerians will receive the relief they so richly deserve.’

He emphasized the continuous attempts to lower living expenditures, including programs such as the Presidential Compressed Natural Gas program, which aims to cut transportation costs by half.

Idris emphasized the need of pay rises while campaigning for of comprehensive relief measures that go beyond pay cuts, imploring Labour to acknowledge the role that initiatives like the CNG project play in boosting citizens’ purchasing power.

Additionally, it will be an attempt to keep more money in Nigerians’ pockets and to lower the cost of living. Programs like the Presidential CNG initiative are useful in this regard.

He asserted, ‘That program alone will cut transportation costs by as much as 50% by replacing or complementing gasoline usage with CNG.’

The minister urged religious authorities to help spread the word about government programs and efforts.

Leaders In Religion

He emphasized how important it is for the clergy to spread the word about opportunities that are out there and the government’s ongoing initiatives.

‘As a government, we require your input, counsel, and support,’ Idris said.

‘Most importantly, in order for you to assist us in sharing these with your congregations and the wider public, we need you to be aware of the efforts being made and the challenges being faced.’

The minister emphasized the powerful platforms held by religious leaders, emphasizing their capacity to inform Nigerians about their rights, obligations, and the financial prospects afforded by the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda initiatives.

He mentioned that the plan sought to improve infrastructure and transportation, foster agricultural and food security, bolster national security, and encourage economic revival.

‘Education and consciousness are essential, and our religious leaders can help with this. You own incredibly powerful platforms that can educate Nigerians on their rights, obligations, and the plethora of economic prospects being presented by the policies and initiatives being carried out in accordance with President Bola Tinubu’s “Renewed Hope Agenda,’ he clarified.

During his speech, Archbishop Leonard Kawas, the National President of the Charismatic Bishop Conference, emphasized the organization’s steadfast support for Tinubu’s administration and reaffirmed their dedication to working together to achieve the goals of the nation as a whole.

“‘No agreement as of yet”‘

Adeyanju disagreed with Tinubu’s claim that his administration engaged in sincere negotiations with Organized Labor on the new national minimum wage, saying that Tinubu had not acted in good faith or with open arms. This was their response to the President’s nationwide broadcast.

‘In this spirit, we went through negotiations in good faith and with wholehearted agreement with organized Labour on a new platform,’ Tinubu said in his broadcast minimum wage in the country. We are going to provide the National Assembly with an executive measure that would, for the next five years or fewer, enshrine the accords achieved into law.

We did not try to suppress or clamp down on the workers in responding to labor’s call for a nationwide strike, as a dictatorship government would have done. We opted for collaboration over confrontation.’ Nobody was detained or intimidated. Rather, the leadership of the labor movement was asked to have a meal together and work toward a sincere settlement.

One of democracy’s main characteristics is reasoned debate and morally sound compromise. These ideas will keep my policies and interactions with the various facets of our political economy vibrant.
However, Adeyanju denied the claims in a statement The President stated that he could have been duped by his advisors, pointing out that Tinubu should have received the two figures that were calculated and presented: N62,000 from the government and the OPS and N250,000 from Organized Labor.

Anything to the contrary, the NLC official claims, is not only fabricated but would also not be approved by Labour.

The government’s offer of N62,000 was rejected by the congress, which stuck to its position of N250,000 as the minimum wage.

Part of the statement said, ‘The NLC would have expected that the President’s advisors would have informed him that we did not reach any consensus with the employers and the Federal Government over the other components of the National Minimum Wage or the base amount for one.
‘We have not received any convincing arguments to modify our demand, which is N250,000 only, which we believe to be a significant concession made by Nigerian workers during the three-way bargaining process.

‘Thus, we are taken aback by Mr. President’s submission regarding a purported agreement. We think it’s possible that he was duped into thinking there was a deal with the TUC and NLC.

‘There was none, and in order to prevent confusion in the ongoing discussion about the national minimum wage, it is crucial that we make this clear to the President, Nigerians, and other national stakeholders right away.’

Adeyanju claimed that during the minimum wage negotiations, security agencies intimidated the labor leaders.

‘We were encircled by heavily armed soldiers while we were in a negotiation with the government and in spite of denials, subsequent remarks made by high-ranking government officials confirmed our concerns in contrast to the administration’s assurances.
He was upbeat, saying, ‘Yet we are confident that the President’s democratic credentials will come to the fore in favor of Nigerian workers and masses.’

The union claims that by rejecting advice from ‘those whose intentions were continuously focused on hurting Nigeria’s poor and struggling workers,’ the President was able to show his love for the people and Nigerian workers on Democracy Day.

In an appeal, he said, ‘Mr. President should not permit these people and organizations to undermine his pledge to pull Nigerian laborers out of poverty.

Clearly, the president’s advisors withheld information from the reality that the trade union leaders were subjected to harassment and intimidation. It is crucial that Mr. President realizes that his operatives may have threatened us multiple times without getting his permission.

‘Senior government officials have waged and continue to wage a campaign of media propaganda against the trade unions with the intention of intimidating and harassing us.’
Regarding how long the Minimum Wage Act would remain in effect, the NLC observed that there was no consensus.

It’s also critical that the president understands that the majority of his officers are working nonstop to appoint congressional and trade union leaders.

The President stated that the Minimum Wage Act would expire in five years, but we never agreed on that timeline years or fewer.

We also decided that the minimum wage should be set at a specific number and that inflation should be controlled at that level. This will help to clarify what should be included in the report. We stress once more how difficult it will be for Nigerian laborers to accept any national minimum pay that is comparable to a living wage. We cannot continue to live in such poverty while working.

‘We expect that the President’s initiatives, which included promising Nigerian workers a Living Wage, will likewise be motivated by our pursuit of justice, equity, and fairness for all Nigerians. The labor movement stated, ‘This is an opportunity to demonstrate that he listens to Nigerians as he promised.

OPS communicates

Regarding the presidential broadcast as well, According to the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines, and Agriculture, there is still no agreement on the minimum wage in the country.

NACCIMA President Dele Oye, a member of the 37-person tripartite group, criticized the inconsistent comments being made about the discussions, stating that the panel was still in the midst of negotiations.

He warned, ‘No agreement has been reached with Labour; however, aside from appealing to all parties involved to work harder to resolve outstanding issues, it is wrong to make a press statement in the middle of negotiations, as the impasse is already creating uncertainty in the ability of businesses to make decisions.’

The tripartite committee on the national, minimum wage was established by the government in January.

The committee’s assignment was to the duty of proposing a new national minimum wage for laborers in Nigeria.
The federal and state governments, organized labor, and members of the private sector have been discussing a new minimum wage for workers for the last few months.

But the organized labor movement’s demand for a minimum wage has not yet been satisfied.

The African nation of Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress started a statewide, indefinite strike on June 3 in protest of the government’s refusal to abide with their demands for a minimum wage.

The labor unions ‘relaxed’ the walkout for one week after twenty-four hours.

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