By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government and the leadership of the Organised Labour have agreed N70,000 as the new minimum wage for Nigerian workers after months of tussle.
The Minister of Information, Mr Mohammed Idris, on Thursday said the agreement was reached at a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the leaders of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in Abuja.
“We are happy to announce today (Thursday) that both the Organised Labour and the Federal Government have agreed on an increase on the N62,000 minimum wage. The new national minimum that Mr President is expected to submit to the National Assembly is N70,000,” Mr Idris said in the presence of the President of the NLC, Mr Joe Ajaero, his TUC counterpart, Mr Festus Osifo, the Labour Minister, Mrs Nkiruka Onyejeocha, and other officials from both sides.
The labour unions had initially asked for an improved minimum wage of N490,000 per month, but the government proposed N60,000, 100 per cent higher than the current amount of N30,000.
There had been deliberations of N200,000 and N250,000 but without a clear resolution, at the last meeting held with the federal government on May 31, 2024, the labour leaders rejected what workers are offered.
Earlier in June, the labour unions had made their threats credible as they shut down electricity nationwide crippling businesses while banks, airports, schools, hospitals were affected.