NLC Dismisses Strike Action Tomorrow, Awaits President Tinubu’s Decision
Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), announced that there will be no strike action tomorrow, Tuesday, in pursuit of a new national minimum wage.
Ajaero made this announcement today, Monday, at the ongoing International Labour Conference (ILC) hosted by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland.
He emphasized that the government’s proposal of N62,000, and the labour’s proposal of N250,000, do not imply that labour has accepted N62,000 as the new minimum wage.
He stated: “The tripartite committee has submitted two figures to the President. The government and employers suggested N62,000, while labour proposed N250,000. We are awaiting the President’s decision. The National Executive Council (NEC) will review the new figure once it is announced.”
Regarding the end of the one-week suspension of the strike, which is set to resume on Tuesday, Ajaero said: “We cannot initiate a strike now because the proposals are with the President. We will await his decision. During the previous administration, the tripartite committee proposed N27,000, but the President increased it to N30,000. We hope the current President will make a fair decision. The difference between N62,000 and N250,000 is significant.”
Ajaero also criticized the governors within the Nigerian Governors’ Forum for rejecting the N62,000 proposal, stating: “How can any governor claim they cannot pay this amount? They also call for the decentralization of the minimum wage.”
He questioned the fairness of the current system, where states that contribute little to the national revenue collect the same salaries as states generating substantial income. “Governors should decentralize their own salaries and benefits first. For instance, the governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki, pays a N70,000 minimum wage. Governors like him should be the standard, not those who are underperforming,” Ajaero added.
