The Labour Party in Nigeria has urged workers’ unions to re-negotiate with the government on a new minimum wage instead of resorting to industrial action.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, made this appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Monday in Lagos State.
Ifoh emphasized that a strike is not a viable solution, as it would only lead to increased hardship and suffering.
He stated, “Our immediate reaction is that organized labour should not throw Nigerians into more hardship.
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“Nigerians are already grappling with a lot of challenges and we do not need to exacerbate the situation. I think the demand for N494,000 minimum wage is unrealistic. It is really unrealistic.
“It is a figure that cannot be sustained because it will imply that Nigeria will take all that money it has to pay the civil servants.”
Ifoh added that the labour union should continue to engage the Federal Government on a figure that would be acceptable to both parties.
“Negotiation should continue until they get something better. Asking Nigerian workers to stay at home will affect everything, including the cost of living and Nigerians cannot afford that now.
“Negotiation is not a one-off thing. If the Federal Government is not willing to go above the N60,000 minimum wage, I think that Organised Labour should work with what is available while it continues to negotiate.
“We know this government has not gotten it right. It is still trying to test the waters,” he added.
He stated that the party opposes actions that could exacerbate hardship. Ifoh was responding to the nationwide strike declared by organized labour over its demand for a new minimum wage.
Despite earlier pleas from the Federal Government for consideration, organized labour commenced an indefinite strike on Monday to push for a new national minimum wage for workers. This industrial action followed a series of unsuccessful negotiations between the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), and government representatives.
On May 28, labour representatives walked out of the Tripartite Committee meeting on minimum wage after the government increased its offer from ₦57,000 to ₦60,000. Initially, the government and the Organised Private Sector had proposed ₦48,000, then ₦54,000, and finally ₦57,000, all of which were rejected by labour.
Organized labour had initially proposed ₦615,000 as the new minimum wage but later reduced their demand to ₦497,000 and then to ₦494,000 to account for the rising cost of living.
