Labour threatens strike, gives FG May 31 deadline for new minimum wage

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have given the federal government a deadline of May 31 to come up with a new national minimum wage for workers.

The ultimatum was given despite the decision of the federal government to increase the salaries of civil servants by 35 percent.

The federal government also approved an increase of between 20 percent and 28 percent for pensioners on the defined benefits scheme, with respect to the six consolidated salary structures.

The implementation of the new salary structure was backdated to January 1, 2024.

Labour has since said it wants the sum of ₦615,000 as the new minimum wage.

Speaking during the Workers’ Day Celebration in Abuja, Joe Ajaero, president of NLC, said labour will not guarantee industrial harmony of the country if a new minimum wage is not announced before May 31.

“The NLC and the TUC have made it clear and emphatically that should the minimum wage negotiation continue and linger till the end of May, we can no longer guarantee industrial harmony in this country,” Ajaero said.

Also speaking, Festus Osifo, TUC president, said the N30,000 current minimum wage is insufficient for Nigerian workers due to the prevailing economic realities.

Osifo implored the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) and power distribution companies to immediately reverse the current increase in electricity tariff for Band A customers.

“The NLC and TUC hereby advise NERC and power sector operators to reverse the last increase in electricity tariff within the next one week,” the TUC president said.