Minimum Wage Crisis: Representatives take action to prevent a nationwide strike

By: Nwakaji Peace Martins

The House of Representatives is set to convene with Organised Labour regarding the ongoing dispute surrounding the new national minimum wage.
This decision was made after the motion on ‘Personal Explanation in accordance with Order Eight, Rule 6,’ put forth by Hon. Kelechi Nwogu, was approved.
The House’s decision comes shortly after Organised Labour leadership, proposing N497,000 as opposed to the initial N615,000, rejected the N54,000 suggested by the Federal Government and the Organised Private Sector (OPS).
During his opening argument, Hon. Nwogu highlighted the provision of Order Eighteen, Rule 11 (5) of the Standing Order of the House, which pertains to the deadline for report submissions.

He pointed out that 80 days after the House passed a resolution on a motion titled ‘Need to Provide Living Wage for Workers in Nigeria’ on Wednesday, 6 March 2024, the joint Committees on Finance, National Planning, and Economic Development, and Labour, Employment and Productivity have yet to present a report on the issue.
In light of the imminent strike action by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the necessity for the House to take proactive measures to prevent the strike, the Committees should be relieved of their duties and the matter transferred to an Ad-hoc Committee of the House.
Consequently, the House instructed the Body of Principal Officers, in collaboration with the Committee on Labour, Employment, and Productivity, to engage with Organised Labour and submit a report within one week.
The joint National Executive Committee of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) had issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to conclude the process during their recent meeting in Abuja.

In a communiqué signed by NLC President Comrade Joe Ajaero and TUC President Comrade Festus Osifo, the leaders of the two trade unions acknowledged the progress made thus far and highlighted the urgency of reaching a fair agreement that reflects the true worth of Nigerian workers’ contributions to the country’s growth and the current survival crisis faced by Nigerians due to government policies.
The communiqué reiterated the ultimatum given by the NLC and TUC to the federal government, which expires at the end of the month, emphasizing the non-negotiable nature of the workers’ demands and urging the government to prioritize resolving these issues for the sake of industrial peace.
Furthermore, the communiqué directed all state councils in states where the N30,000 National Minimum Wage and its adjustments have not been fully implemented to issue a joint two-week ultimatum to the respective state governments to prevent industrial action.