The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has ruled out a planned strike for Tuesday, awaiting President Bola Tinubu’s intervention on the new national minimum wage. NLC President Joe Ajaero made the announcement at the International Labour Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, organized by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
Ajaero clarified that the figures proposed—N62,000 by the government and employers, and N250,000 by labour—do not imply that labour accepts the N62,000 figure. “The tripartite committee submitted two figures to the President. Government and employers proposed N62,000 while labour proposed N250,000. We are waiting for the decision of the President,” Ajaero stated.
Regarding the expiration of the one-week suspension of the strike, Ajaero noted, “We cannot declare strike now because the figures are with the President. We will wait for the President’s decision.” He expressed optimism, recalling that the previous President had increased the proposed minimum wage from N27,000 to N30,000.
Ajaero also criticized the governors of the 36 states for rejecting the N62,000 proposal, emphasizing the need for consistency. He pointed out that Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, is paying a N70,000 minimum wage and should be emulated by other governors. “They should decentralize their salaries and emoluments first. So, where is the governor of Edo state, Godwin Obaseki getting his money from? He is paying N70,000 minimum wage. This is the type of governor that should be emulated and not the lazy ones,” Ajaero argued.
