The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) President, Mr. Festus Osifo, has stated that the much-anticipated new minimum wage may not be announced on May 1 as expected.
In a statement to the media in Abuja, Osifo explained that the negotiations by the Tripartite Committee are still ongoing. He mentioned that the TUC had earlier submitted a proposal of N447,000 as the new minimum wage, but this figure has now been harmonized with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to a new demand of N615,000.
Regarding the timeline for the announcement of the new minimum wage, Osifo said that the committee is still working, and May 1 is unlikely to be the date for the pronouncement. He added that the only way the new minimum wage could be announced on May 1 is if the Federal Government decides to implement a minimum wage of N500,000 for workers.
Osifo further clarified that the N615,000 demand by the organized labour is not set in stone, as the government also has its own markup. He expressed hope that the committee will meet after May 1 to continue the negotiations and consultations.
It is worth noting that the 37-member tripartite committee on the minimum wage was set up by the Federal Government to facilitate further discussions and arrive at a fair and decent wage that can alleviate the suffering of the people, as emphasized by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
