The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has ruled out the possibility of a strike scheduled for Tuesday to demand a new national minimum wage. NLC President Joe Ajaero made the announcement on Monday during the ongoing International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland.
Ajaero explained that the decision to avoid strike action stems from the fact that the proposed minimum wage figures are currently under review by President Bola Tinubu. He clarified that while the tripartite committee has submitted two proposals—N62,000 from the government and employers, and N250,000 from labour—no final decision has been made.
“The tripartite committee submitted two figures to the President. Government and employers proposed N62,000 while labour proposed N250,000. We are waiting for the decision of the President. Our National Executive Council (NEC) will deliberate on the new figure when it is out,” Ajaero said.
He emphasized that labour’s proposal of N250,000 does not mean acceptance of the N62,000 figure. “We cannot declare strike now because the figures are with the President. We will wait for the President’s decision,” he stated.
Ajaero expressed hope that President Tinubu would make a favorable decision, citing the previous administration’s increase of the proposed minimum wage from N27,000 to N30,000. “We are hopeful that this President will do the right thing. The President had noted that the difference between N62,000 and N250,000 is a wide gulf,” he added.
The NLC president also criticized state governors for rejecting the N62,000 minimum wage proposal and calling for the decentralization of the minimum wage. He challenged governors to decentralize their own salaries first.
“How can any governor say he cannot pay? They cannot also be calling for the decentralization of the minimum wage. Governors whose states are not contributing a dime to the national purse and who generate pitiable Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) are collecting the same amount as governors whose states are generating billions of dollars into the FAAC,” Ajaero argued.
He praised Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki for setting an example by paying a minimum wage of N70,000. “This is the type of governor that should be emulated and not the lazy ones,” Ajaero said.
The NLC’s stance indicates a wait-and-see approach, relying on President Tinubu’s forthcoming decision to determine the next steps in the minimum wage negotiations.