The Tripartite Committee, established by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to negotiate a new National Minimum Wage, submitted its report to the Federal Government on Monday.
Sen. George Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, received the report from the Committee Chairman and former Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Alh. Bukar Goni Aji.
According to a statement by Segun Imohiosen, Director of Information and Public Relations at the SGF Office, the report will be formally presented to President Tinubu once the leadership of organized labor returns from Geneva.
President Tinubu had inaugurated the 37-member Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage on January 30, 2024, following demands from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC).
The Committee was tasked with recommending a new national minimum wage for workers in both public and private sectors.
Amidst stalled negotiations, organized labor declared an indefinite strike on June 3, 2024, leading to widespread disruptions as airports, hospitals, the national grid, banks, and government establishments shut down.
Labour unions argued that the current N30,000 minimum wage was insufficient due to rising inflation and recent policy changes, including the removal of petrol subsidies and the unification of forex windows.
They also noted that many governors had not been paying the current wage, which expired in April 2024.
Initially, labor unions demanded N615,000, later reducing their demand to N494,000. The government’s and private sector’s proposal of N60,000 was rejected, triggering the strike.
After a meeting with labor leaders on June 3, 2024, Secretary Akume announced the President’s commitment to a wage above N60,000, leading to the suspension of the strike on June 4, 2024, and the resumption of negotiations.
President Tinubu also tasked Finance Minister Wale Edun with creating a new wage template. The intense discussions saw labor reducing their demand to N250,000, while the Federal Government offered N62,000.
It remains unclear whether a consensus was reached, but the statement from the SGF Office confirmed that the Tripartite Committee on National Minimum Wage concluded its assignment and submitted the report on June 10, 2024.
“A formal presentation of the Report will be made to Mr. President for appropriate action when the leadership of the Organised Labour, as well as representatives of Government and Organised Private Sector, who are presently in Geneva, Switzerland for the ongoing International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conference, return to the country.
“The SGF thanked the Chairman of the Committee, Alh. Bukar Goni Aji, and members for their commitment and sacrifices,” the statement read.
