The federal government and labour unions are collaborating, according to President Bola Tinubu, to establish a new minimum wage threshold for Nigerian employees.
The federal government would make budgetary provisions for the implementation of the new minimum wage as soon as an agreement is achieved by the parties involved, according to Tinubu, who spoke in a national broadcast on Monday.
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“In the same vein, we are also working in collaboration with the labour unions to introduce a new national minimum wage for workers,” he said.
“I want to tell our workers this: your salary review is coming.
“Once we agree on the new minimum wage and general upward review, we will make budget provisions for it for immediate implementation.”
Since the federal government removed the petrol subsidy, the decision has continued to generate mixed reactions from Nigerians.
To mitigate the economic impact of the decision, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) have demanded that the federal government increase the national minimum wage from N30,000.
The labour movement has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the federal government to reverse all “anti-poor” and “insensitive” policies or face a nationwide indefinite strike and mass protests.
The union said since President Bola Tinubu’s declaration that “subsidy is gone forever”, Nigerians have been suffering.
The strike and mass protest are expected to commence on August 2 if the government failed to yield to the labour’s demands.
But the federal government has also asked the union to embrace dialogue rather than embarking on mass action, citing an existing court order barring the labour from going on strike.
