Tinubu In Meeting With Organised Labour At The State House, Abuja Over Minimum Wage

President Bola Tinubu is currently meeting with the organised Labour at the State House, Abuja, over issues of the impending new national minimum wage.

The ongoing meeting is a follow-up on the one convened last week Thursday by President Tinubu, which was also attended by Labour leaders, including the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, and that of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Festus Osifo.

The labour leaders who arrived at about 2.15 pm in a white 32-seater Coaster bus headed straight to the first-floor office of the President where the meeting was expected to take place.

The meeting is expected to conclude discussions on the minimum wage matter, after which the President is expected to send an executive bill to the National Assembly for legislation.

It would be recalled that President Tinubu, during last week’s meeting with Labour, declared that Nigerian workers deserve improved welfare, better wages, as well as safe and enhanced working conditions.

He however hinted that the government will be more guided by what is realistic and sustainable to inform its final position on the new national minimum wage issue.

“You have to cut your coat according to the available cloth. Before we can finalize the minimum wage process, we have to look at the structure”, he said.

The negotiations for a new minimum, as when the Bukar Goni-Aji-led Tripartite Committee on New National Minimum Wage submitted its report, got stuck between Labour’s ₦250,000 and government/organised private sector (OPS) offer of ₦62,000.

Besides the Labour representatives, those attending from the government’s side include the Ministers of Information, Health, Education, and Labour (State).

Others are the Group CEO of NNPCL, the National Security Adviser, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and the Chief of Staff to the President.