Minimum wage dispute: Labour gets urgent appeal from senate over offer, payment

• Organised labour has been told to accept President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's latest minimum wage offer
• Senate leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, made this appeal to the leadership of the NLC and the TUC, urging them to accept a wage offer above N60,000
• Interestingly, President Tinubu did not announce the new minimum wage but the tripartite committee, earlier recommended N62,000 but labour rejected the offer and insisted on a N250,000 minimum wage

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements

The Senate leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to accept the federal government's minimum wage offer.

Senate leader Bamidele with organised labour. Photo credit: Sen Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, Nigeria Labour Congress HQ
Source: Facebook

Senate speaks as FG offers N62,000, labour demands N250,000

He made the call in an Eid-el-Kabir message by his directorate of media and public affairs on Sunday, just as he highlighted some achievements of the administration of President Bola Tinubu.

As reported by PM News on Monday, June 17, Senator Bamidele, representing Ekiti Central in the Senate, also pleaded with the NLC and the TUC to accept whatever President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's led government offered them above N60,000 as the new minimum wage.

Recall that in a televised address to Nigerians on Wednesday, June 12, monitored by Legit.ng, President Tinubu said the new minimum wage would be sent to the national assembly for deliberation.

Tinubu did not announce a new minimum wage. But the tripartite committee, comprising the federal government's team, offered to pay Nigerian workers N62,000; organised labour rejected the offer and proposed N250,000.

Senate leader tells labour to accept offer above N60,000

Speaking on the new minimum wage dispute, the senate leader, Bamidele, assured that the current administration would leave no stone unturned in alleviating the economic hardship being faced by the majority of Nigerians and re-offer them a sense of pride in their home country, Vanguard reported.

Bamidele said:

“The federal government has conceded to N60,000, which translates to a 100 percent increase. But both NLC and TUC turned down this offer, leading to a two-day industrial action.“The federal government has promised to make more concessions in this respect. As the federal government reveals its new offer, I plead with the organised labour to accept it in the national interest. The economy will remain in this condition. Collectively, we are taking multi-pronged measures to reverse disturbing economic indicators.”has conceded to N60,000, which translates to a 100 percent increase. But both NLC and TUC turned down this offer, leading to a two-day industrial action.“The federal government has promised to make more concessions in this respect. As the federal government reveals its new offer, I plead with the organised labour to accept it in the national interest. The economy will remain in this condition. Collectively, we are taking multi-pronged measures to reverse disturbing economic indicators.”

Minimum wage: Tinubu’s govt told to pay N75k

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Reno Omokri, a socio-political analyst, said Nigeria is not rich and cannot afford to pay any amount as a minimum wage requested by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC).

In a tweet on his verified handle, Omokri asserted that the Tinubu government should pay N75,000 as a minimum wage and allow the states to pay what they can afford, rather than enforcing a minimum wage that they cannot afford on them.

Source: Legit.ng