NLC,TUC fuse over minimum wage negotiations

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) have forwarded a joint demand to the tripartite committee negotiating the new national minimum wage.

According to the Guardian, The consensus was reached at a meeting that took place at NLC headquarters and presided over by NLC President, Joe Ajaero.

The gathering, which was a fallout of the recent two-day meeting of the tripartite committee, set up by the Federal Government, adopted a common ground in all key areas and submitted its demands to the National Salaries Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC) through the national minimum wage tripartite committee secretariat.

Though this reporter was not privy to the agreed wage figure, but a committee member, who was not authorised to speak with the media, said the NLC and TUC members of the tripartite committee at the meeting struck some milestones in reaching the joint position.

The source said the key areas achieved include tenure and adopted mechanisms for increment in cases, where inflation rises.

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He added that they adopted a common position on monitoring, compliance and coverage of the minimum wage.

It was also gathered that the negotiating panel would reconvene in mid-April to strengthen talks and consultations on the new minimum wage that may likely be announced by President Bola Tinubu on May 1.

National Treasurer of the NLC, Hakeem Ambali, who is also a member of the tripartite committee, affirmed that the panel, at its last meeting, was collating and analysing reports from the zonal public hearings that were held across the six geopolitical zones.

During the public hearings, the different zones housing the two labour centres and affiliates proposed different monthly minimum wages, ranging from N447,000 to N850,000.