Take economic realities into account, tripartite committee tells unions

The tripartite committee established by the federal government to review the minimum wage has urged unions to reassess their wage demands. Speaking to NAN yesterday, Bukar Aji, chairman of the committee, asked the unions to reconsider their position based on economic factors and non-monetary incentives provided by the government.

Aji highlighted several government incentives including a N35,000 salary allowance for all federal workers paid from the Treasury, N100 billion for gas buses and gas kit conversion, a conditional grant of N125 billion. naira, financial inclusion for small and medium enterprises and a monthly allocation of 25,000 naira for 15 million households over three months.

He also listed N185 billion in palliative loans to states to mitigate the effects of the removal of oil subsidies, N200 billion to boost agricultural production, N75 billion to strengthen the manufacturing sector and N1 trillion to student loans, among other interventions.

Aji called on unions to consider accepting the N62,000 minimum wage proposed by the Federal Government. He said the commission is trying to avoid a situation where the minimum wage would lead to further job losses, especially since many businesses are already struggling.

In January 2024, the federal government inaugurated a 37-member tripartite commission on the national minimum wage. The committee was tasked with recommending a new minimum wage for Nigerian workers.

Over the past months, the federal and state governments, trade unions and representatives of the private sector have deliberated on a mutually acceptable amount. However, the unions’ demand has not yet been met.

On June 3, the Nigeria Labor Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) launched a nationwide strike to protest the federal government’s failure to respond to their demands. Twenty-four hours later, the unions “relaxed” the week-long strike.

The two unions had earlier proposed N615,500 and N494,000 respectively as the new minimum wage, which the Federal Government had deemed unrealistic. On June 7, the Federal Government increased its offer from N60,000 to N62,000, while the unions insisted on N250,000.

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