NLC gives reasons for accepting Tinubu’s N70K minimum wage offer

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President, Joe Ajaero, on Thursday, explained why the organised labour accepted President Bola Tinubu’s N70,000 minimum wage offer.

Ajaero, who spoke to State House correspondents after a meeting with Tinubu, said the unions agreed to the offer because of other incentives attached.

He said another reason the labour accepted the offer was because the president promised a review every three years as against what obtained in the past.

The new minimum wage when approved by the National Assembly will replace the N30,000 minimum wage which expired on April 18.

Ripples Nigeria had earlier reported that Tinubu, after a meeting with the leadership of the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, approved N70,000 as the new minimum wage.

The President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, issued a statement via his X handle after the approval.

READ ALSO: Tinubu approves N70,000 new minimum wage for workers

The ststement read: “President Tinubu also promised to find ways to assist the private sector and the sub-nationals to pay the minimum wage.

“President Tinubu announced the decisions at the meeting held with leaders of TUC and NLC on Thursday in Abuja, the second time the parties met in 7 days.

“The Labour leaders applauded President Tinubu for the fatherly gesture as the President also promised to use his discretionary powers meet the demands of university unions demanding unpaid 4 months salaries.”

The national minimum wage issue has been a contentious one between labour leaders and the federal government in the past few months.

The organised labour embarked on strike after it failed to reach an agreed wage with the federal government.

The Labour had asked for N494,000 as wage but went down to N250,000 after a series of back and forth with the federal government.

However, the federal government had insisted on N62,000 as the new minimum wage prior to Tinubu’s approval of N70,000.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now