The tripartite committee on the new minimum wage adjourned deliberations until next Tuesday, May 28, after failing to reach a consensus during Wednesday’s meeting in Abuja.
The Federal Government, organized private sector, and organized labour could not agree on the new minimum wage. Initially, the government proposed N54,000, citing a lack of funds but later increased its offer to N57,000 after a 30-minute break for further discussions.
Labour rejected the proposed N57,000, insisting on N497,000. The meeting was attended by Governors Obaseki and Uzodinma, with Governor Soludo joining via Zoom.
A senior official from the Nigeria Labour Congress described the negotiation outcome as discouraging. Labour had lowered its demand from N615,000 to N500,000, and finally to N497,000, but the meeting was adjourned without an agreement.
President Tinubu, through Vice President Kashim Shettima, had inaugurated the 37-member Tripartite Committee on Minimum Wage on January 30, 2024, urging a speedy resolution ahead of the current N30,000 wage expiration on April 18.
Public hearings across various zones revealed diverse proposals for the minimum wage, with labour ultimately settling on N615,000 as a living wage.
The negotiations are set to continue next week.
