The House of Representatives leadership is set to meet with Organized Labour to address the ongoing crisis regarding the new national minimum wage.
This decision followed a motion on ‘Personal Explanation in line with Order Eight, Rule 6,’ sponsored by Hon. Kelechi Nwogu.
The House resolution comes just 24 hours after Organized Labour, which initially proposed N497,000 (down from N615,000), rejected the N54,000 proposal from the Federal Government and the Organized Private Sector (OPS).
In his lead debate, Hon. Nwogu highlighted the provision of Order Eighteen, Rule 11 (5) of the House Standing Order, which specifies a timeframe for report submissions.
He noted that 80 days had passed since the House adopted a resolution on March 6, 2024, calling for a living wage for Nigerian workers.
However, the joint Committees on Finance, National Planning and Economic Development, and Labour, Employment and Productivity are yet to submit their report.
Given the impending strike by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the need for proactive measures to prevent it, Hon. Nwogu suggested that the Committees be discharged from their mandate and the matter be referred to an Ad-hoc Committee.
Consequently, the House directed the Body of Principal Officers, along with the Committee on Labour, Employment and Productivity, to engage with Organized Labour and report back within a week.
At their recent meeting in Abuja, the joint National Executive Committee of both the NLC and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) unanimously issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to finalize the wage process.
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In a joint communique, NLC President Comrade Joe Ajaero and TUC President Comrade Festus Osifo acknowledged the progress made but emphasized the need to conclude the process within the given timeframe.
“While appreciating the efforts made thus far, the NEC stresses the urgency of reaching a fair and equitable agreement that reflects the true value of Nigerian workers’ contributions to the nation’s development and addresses the current survival crisis caused by government policies.
“The NEC reaffirms its commitment to ensuring that the interests and welfare of workers are adequately protected in the negotiation process.
“The NEC-in-session therefore reiterates the ultimatum issued by the NLC and TUC to the federal government, which expires at the end of this month.
“It emphasizes the non-negotiable nature of the demands put forth by Nigerian workers and urges the government to prioritize resolving these issues for the sake of industrial peace.
“NEC-in-session further directed all state Councils, whose state Governments have not fully implemented the N30,000 National Minimum Wage and its consequential adjustments, to issue a joint two-week ultimatum to these Governments to avert industrial action,” the communique read in part.
