Labour Dumps FG Propose N60,000 Minimum Wage, Insists on N494,000

The Organized Labour in Nigeria, represented by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has rejected the Federal Government’s fresh offer of a ₦60,000 minimum wage. The Organized Labour is now insisting on a ₦494,000 minimum wage. This decision came after a series of negotiations where the government had previously proposed ₦48,000 and ₦54,000, which were also rejected by the Organized Labour.

The Federal Government had increased its offer from ₦54,000 to ₦57,000, and then to ₦60,000, but all these offers were turned down by the Organized Labour. The Organized Labour, on the other hand, had initially demanded ₦615,000 as the new minimum wage but has since reduced its demand to ₦494,000.

The Tripartite Committee on the New Minimum Wage, which was inaugurated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on January 30, 2024, is yet to reach an agreement on a new national minimum wage, with the current one set to expire on April 18. The committee aims to recommend a new national minimum wage to replace the current ₦30,000.