Comrade Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), has said the status quo on N250,000 as minimum wage stands.
While the Federal Government and Organised Private Sector agreed on N62,000, labour is insisting on N250,000.
President Bola Tinubu had said he needed time to consult with other stakeholders before sending the bill for the new minimum wage to National Assembly.
Speaking with State House Correspondents after he and other labour leaders met with President Tinubu, on Thursday, Ajaero said labour leaders went for discussion, not negotiation.
“In the real sense, it wasn’t a negotiation but a discussion; and we have had that discussion. We agreed to look at the real terms probably and reconvene in the next one week. So, that’s where we are. Because we didn’t go down there to talk naira and kobo. At least, there were some basic issues that we agreed on.”
Asked specifically if Labour is still insisting on N250,000, he said, “I remember mentioning that we didn’t go into Naria and kobo discussion. Now the status quo in terms of the amount N250,000 and N62,000 remains until we finish this conversation.”
Trade Union Congress (TUC) President, Festus Osifo, said they discussed, and after explaining their position, the President also made his remarks.
“In the meeting, we tried to put the issues on the table. Issues that are bothering and biting Nigerians today, the economic difficulties and the value of naira, how it has also eroded, how these have affected the prices commodities and goods in the market.”
“So, we tried to put these before Mr President because he is the president of the country and the bulk stops at his table. We have had all the conversations with all his agents, but today, we said let us meet with the father of the country and have this conversation and make the argument that Labour always make, we made all the arguments, the economic analysis, macro, micro, fiscal and monetary issues.
“So, we put everything forward and at the end, the president made his remark as the president and we all agreed let’s go back, we internalize it, we have some conversation and by one we time, we will come back and we will continue the meeting.”
On her part, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, said, “It is a fruitful meeting, father, children meeting. I think we are hopeful that very soon everything will be resolved. Of course, when father and children talk you know what it is. That’s just exactly what has happened. It took us almost about an hour. I believe that it’s all for good.”
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