The members of the tripartite committee, consisting of the federal government and labor unions, have commenced discussions regarding a revised minimum wage for Nigerian employees.
The committee reconvened in Abuja on the day of Wednesday.
In a statement to journalists after the gathering, Festus Osifo, the President of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, mentioned that the federal government did not table a new minimum wage proposal during the deliberations.
He indicated that their focus was primarily on the underlying principles of various matters, with no new propositions beyond the initial presentation.
Consequently, he conveyed his belief that upon their next meeting, there would be substantial progress to discuss.
The federal government’s delegation at the assembly included Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance; Atiku Bagudu, the Minister of Budget and National Planning; and Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, the Minister of Labor.
Additionally, representatives from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation were in attendance.
From the organized labor sector, Joe Ajaero, the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), and Osifo were present at the meeting.
Abdulateef Shittu, the Director-General of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), also participated.
It is worth noting that the organized labor initiated an indefinite strike on Monday due to the federal government’s failure to fulfill their request for an increased minimum wage.
The organized labor had suggested N615,500 and N494,000 as the fresh national minimum wage, a proposition deemed unrealistic by the government.
Subsequently, the organized labor decided to temporarily suspend the industrial action for a week to facilitate discussions with the federal government concerning a new minimum wage.
