The Nigeria Labour Congress says it might stage nationwide strike after the negotiation for a new minimum wage with the Federal Government ended in a deadlock again on Tuesday.
Interestingly, the Labour rejected the Federal Government’s fresh offer of N60,000, up from the N57,000 earlier proposed as the NLC’s Deputy President of Political Commission, Prof. Theophilus Ndubuaku, in a meeting of the tripartite committee on minimum wage said,
“This government needs to open up to Nigerians and tell us whether they have come to their wit’s end because as it is now, they don’t seem to know what to do and that means they need to tell the people what the problem is. This present situation can no longer lead us anywhere.
“It is not about just knowing what to do; they don’t have the experience to run a government of this nature.”
On the strike, Ndubuaku said, “We are not going back for any negotiation again. The notice (of strike) has already been given.”
Sources familiar with discussions at the Tuesday session said the committee postponed its meeting “sine die” or indefinitely.
Due to the rejection of the initial proposed N57,000 minimum wage, the Federal Government on Tuesday added a sum of N3,000 to make it N60,000 proposed.
Although, the organised labour, comprising the Trade Union Congress and the Nigeria Labour Congress, insisted on N494,000, removing N3,000 from its earlier N497,000 demand.
