Agreeing to the proposed minimum wage of N60,000, the Federal Government has urged organized labor to act reasonably.
Mr. Olajide Oshundun, the ministry’s director of press and public relations, released a statement on Wednesday in Abuja, featuring the plea made by Mrs. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, the minister of state for labor and employment.
Organize labor turned down the N60,000 offer on Tuesday, according to Dockaysworld.
Labor representatives gave the following justifications for rejecting the N60,000 offer:
“How can we agree on N60,000- an amount that cannot buy a bag of rice to serve as national minimum wage. Let’s assume that you are buying a loaf of bread for your family at N2,000 every day and that is what you and your family want to be eating for one meal.
“We have to be realistic in this country. When government increased the price of petrol, they asked labour to wait and demand for a living minimum wage and the government is going to provide a living a living wage for workers. But now, we are asking for a living wage and government is playing around it.”
As a reaction to the announcement, Onyejeocha stated that the federal government has consistently taken steps to ensure that Nigerian laborers are paid fairly and appropriately.
“We are committed to putting the people first and ensuring that our economic policies benefit all Nigerians, not just a select few.
“The government remain dedicated to prioritizing the well-being of our citizens and its want to urge all relevant parties to demonstrate patriotism and understanding.
“This is particularly during this critical period when the President, Bola Tinubu, is working diligently to revitalize the economy,”she said.
“As a government, we recognise the importance of ensuring that our citizens receive a decent standard of living, and we are committed to making this a reality.
“After hours of intense negotiations, labour leaders took a recess to consult with other key stakeholders and have pledged to return to the negotiating table for further discussion.
“We welcome this development and are optimistic that our continued engagement will yield a positive outcome.
“In light of the current economic conditions, we have made a concessionary move from N57,000 to N60,000.
“This is the path that this government has chosen to pursue, and we will not deviate or stray from the course.
“President Tinubu has been tireless in his efforts to revitalise the economy and improve the standard of living for all Nigerians.
“His commitment to creating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and reducing poverty is genuine, and we appeal to all to support him in this endeavour.
“As we move forward, we will continue to engage with organised labour and other stakeholders to ensure that our economic policies are inclusive and beneficial to all,” she added.
The meeting from yesterday came to a standstill because the parties could not agree in the interim.
This was followed by an indefinite postponement of the meeting.
Unless the Federal Government came up with a reasonable amount, Labor had threatened to go on a nationwide strike by May 31.
