We just told them that since they are not serious, we better just leave, so we stormed out of the place.”
By Saidu Idris
365Daily – Organised Labour on Wednesday stormed out of a meeting with the Federal Government’s Minimum Wage Committee in protest of a N48,000 new wage offer.
The organised labour comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) had demanded N615,000 as the new minimum wage, with a May 31 ultimatum to conclude negotiations on new living wage.
At the Tripartite Committee on New National Minimum Wage resumed negotiations on Wednesday.
The government offer was presented by the Permanent Secretary of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation Office.
President of the NLC, Comrade Joe Ajaero, described the N48, 000 as ”grossly inadequate,” adding that the FG’s representatives ”need to go back to the drawing board.”
He said, “the government’s proposal of a paltry N48,000 does not only insult the sensibilities of the Nigerian workers, but also falls significantly short of meeting our needs.”
Professor Theophilus Ndubuaku, one of the representatives of the NLC, was quoted by the Vanguard as asking, “whether the N45,000 is for transport, food, clothing, housing or for what.
“So we just told them that since they are not serious, we better just leave, so we stormed out of the place.”